A new look for The Conran Shop’s Marylebone store
The Conran Shop has just unveiled a new look for its Marylebone Store. After redesigning the brand’s Chelsea store last year, Jasper Conran, who recently took over at the helm from his father Sir Terence Conran, has now focused on the Marylebone High Street store. When I visited at the weekend to attend a styling workshop with Gabby Deeming of House and Garden as part of Marylebone Interiors Day, the store was buzzing with a palpable new excitement and energy.
The Conran Flower Stand greets you as you enter and sets a welcoming and colourful tone that’s echoed throughout the store. There’s a luscious array of hand-tied bouquets and potted herbs on offer, along with sweet little jars of seasonal flowers and foliage – all British grown and made up daily in store. I defy you to resist.
The Conran Kitchen is another new addition. I opted for a lunchtime bite of goats cheese and caramelised onion, sandwiched between doorstop sized hunks of white bread.
Elsewhere on the ground floor there are gift, book and music sections to explore along with a children’s zone and a perfume counter.
Upstairs there’s an enticing market style feel to the kitchen shop, and more than ten elegant table settings provide dining inspiration.
On the top floor the Ultimate Conran Apartment, complete with roof terrace, is a fantastic space flooded with natural light and features a thoughtful edit of furniture, original art and other highly covetable objects styled to illustrate an idealised version of Conran living.
Carefully curated collections of paint splattered artists palettes and wooden T squares infuse the space with personality.
While many retailers have struggled to adapt to the challenges of the tough economic climate and changing shopping habits, and seen sales slipping away as a result, The Conran Shop has really embraced the idea of creating a truly wonderful visitor experience. The overriding impression it leaves you with is that it’s a fun place to be, and there is something to suit most tastes and pockets, whether you’re after a £20 bunch of colourful Spring blooms, a quick home accessories update, or looking to make a more serious investment in a piece of designer furniture. Reorganised, reedited and rejuvenated, and with the inclusion of a cafe and a regular programme of events, alongside near flawless visual merchandising, the store has shaped up to position itself as a social destination as well as a shopping destination.
Other retailers would do well to take note.
Images: Paul Raeside (1,3,4,6,7,9) & Graham Powell (2,5,8)
a lovely review – considered and very, very enticing!
a lovely review – considered and very, very enticing!
Oh, high praise form you.
I suppose I'll have to see it before I can comment on what I think. However, nothing here is new and innovative. To have a coffee/ food area, offer blooms is so old hat. What a shame they couldn't quite thing of something really new.
If we look at Selfridges, who I believe is the shopping mecca of Europe if not the world, they always re-invent. They are about to open the largest denim shop (11,000 to choose from), they have the largest shoe department and are introducing drive-through and pick up shopping experience from January. That's what I call innovative.
Of course, Conran ain't Selfridges, but one can innovate on a small scale.
The top floor Ultimate Conran Apartment, complete with roof terrace is a re-freshing change and I look forward to seeing this.
As I said in the beginning, I haven't yet been so maybe I'm a little harsh:-) That's just my humble opinion!
The Cire Trudon Room Spray has been on my wish list FOREVER… must finally get it. I use their candles.
Thanks for a great review x
Oh, high praise form you.
I suppose I'll have to see it before I can comment on what I think. However, nothing here is new and innovative. To have a coffee/ food area, offer blooms is so old hat. What a shame they couldn't quite thing of something really new.
If we look at Selfridges, who I believe is the shopping mecca of Europe if not the world, they always re-invent. They are about to open the largest denim shop (11,000 to choose from), they have the largest shoe department and are introducing drive-through and pick up shopping experience from January. That's what I call innovative.
Of course, Conran ain't Selfridges, but one can innovate on a small scale.
The top floor Ultimate Conran Apartment, complete with roof terrace is a re-freshing change and I look forward to seeing this.
As I said in the beginning, I haven't yet been so maybe I'm a little harsh:-) That's just my humble opinion!
The Cire Trudon Room Spray has been on my wish list FOREVER… must finally get it. I use their candles.
Thanks for a great review x
– Owls House London – Thank you, glad you enjoyed reading. It is very enticing indeed…
– Owls House London – Thank you, glad you enjoyed reading. It is very enticing indeed…
Hi Tina – There are lots of places that offer great retail experiences in London but the point I had in mind, but perhaps didn't draw out, was that most regional high streets offer a pretty bland, homogeneous and uninspiring experience. You're right, there's nothing new in the inclusion of a coffee shop or flower stall, but mixing all these things up creates a feel good factor. It just felt right to me, which ultimately comes down to subtle design and styling – it's not necessarily about innovation, it's about getting the basic customer experience right.
Anyway, pop along and see what you think!
Hi Tina – There are lots of places that offer great retail experiences in London but the point I had in mind, but perhaps didn't draw out, was that most regional high streets offer a pretty bland, homogeneous and uninspiring experience. You're right, there's nothing new in the inclusion of a coffee shop or flower stall, but mixing all these things up creates a feel good factor. It just felt right to me, which ultimately comes down to subtle design and styling – it's not necessarily about innovation, it's about getting the basic customer experience right.
Anyway, pop along and see what you think!