What do you give the person who has everything?
If UK departments store legend Selfridges and The Royal Collage of Arts have anything to do with it – a unique one off piece of art from their pop up Christmas shop within a shop located on the ground floor of the Selfridges iconic flagship store in Oxford Street, London.
In a move that would have made founder Harry Gordon Selfridge, the masterful showman who created Selfridges, which opened its doors on March 15th 1909, smile with approval. Selfridges have partnered with the Royal Collage of Arts and created something truly unique with a price tag to match. It’ s not for your stocking filler.
Whilst Selfridges is synonymous with retailing, The Royal Collage of Arts (RCA) is not. The Collage was founded in 1853 and is one of the world’s most influential postgraduate universities of art and design. Its impressive list of alumni includes Tracy Emin, Peter Blake, Christopher Bailey, James Dyson, Ridley Scott, David Hockney and Ian Dury, to name but a few.
The concept of this store is simple yet effective.
It is called One & Only and that is what it is.
Inside the space you will discover, see and be able to buy one of a kind pieces from some of the RCA’s most esteemed recent graduates who are already making waves in their respective fields.
Your chance to give your loved one, and by the price tags you will need to love them a lot, something totally unique and if the past RCA’s hall of fame is anything to go by, a gift that will keep on giving by appreciating in value as well.
Another example of how retail spaces are changing: more flexible spaces; the fusion of retail, entertainment and art; collaborations with different, eclectic and unusual partners; adding different dimensions to their brand proposition and values to become more meaningfully differentiated.
Expect to see more of these interesting collaborations and don’t just sit on the side-lines – go out and actively seek collaborations and ‘guest’ partnerships.
It is more important than ever to continue to give consumers reasons to shop out rather than just shop in.