Polish online footwear retailer Eobuwie.pl has opened what it describes as a “sector-defining store concept” designed by London-headquartered Dalziel & Pow. Eobuwie.pl is owned by CCC, Central Europe’s largest footwear retailer and the largest footwear manufacturer in the continent. The new concept store marks its physical debut, seamlessly blending the digital and physical on the high street for a very different footwear-shopping experience compared to traditional shoe stores. Eobuwie
ie.pl’s physical debut has a completely different purchase journey: the store has no physical product on the shop floor and is supported by a vast stockroom for a free-flowing experience mirroring its online service.
A pair of digital screens flank the open entrance to attract passing shoppers and the arrival zone is designed for quick transactions and purchases, with high stools and interactive touchscreen tablets on which customers can search and order.
For customers seeking a slower journey, the heart of the store is designed for browsing and trying on shoes. This space has a warmer, more intimate feel with an industrial-style framework and fluted glass to bring privacy, and a lowered ceiling.
Continuous eye-level screens create an immersive thread around the entire store and play rolling content that showcases Eobuwie.pl’s wide selection of footwear – some 450 brands and 40,000 styles. The content is also played on two large screens beside the cash desks. These digital displays replace traditional visual merchandising, delivering a sleek, minimal store environment that emphasises the unique, seamless customer journey.
From the back of the store there’s a view into the stockroom which houses 110,000 shoe boxes, showcasing the vast range of brands and products available to the customer. Boxes slide from the stockroom down through the racking behind the cash desks, creating an element of retail theatre.
David Dalziel, creative director at Dalziel & Pow, describes the store as an ambitious and challenging concept which blends the convenience of online shopping with the fast fulfilment of bricks-and-mortar.
“It feels like a success already with queues to use the 45 digital terminals at busy times. Further plans are already underway to roll this out in the near future.”