The department store House of Fraser and coffee shop Caffe Nero have teamed up to create a new multi channel shopping concept combining the love of online shopping and coffee.
The two brands have got together to create a hybrid of a House and Fraser department stores and a Caffe Nero. The ground floor will have the look and feel of most Caffe Nero coffee shops but with the extra addition of touch screens and tablets representing the House of Fraser website.
Caffe Nero was founded in 1997 by Gerry Ford who wanted to bring high quality Italian coffee to the UK. The European coffee house successfully offers simple premium Italian coffee across their stores alongside food inspired by classic Italian recipes. One of Gerry Fords aims was to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere so that Caffe Nero will become a place of comfort and relaxation and an accessible place for people to meet to enjoy good coffee. So it comes as no surprise that House of Fraser has chosen to team up with the brand to add online shopping to the comfort and welcoming philosophy that Caffe Nero represents.
The first floor will be more in the style of House of Fraser. There will be till points for customer collection, product displays, fitting rooms and order in store terminals. Interactive mannequins will also be on the shop floor after their success in the Aberdeen House of Fraser department store.
House of Fraser and Caffe Nero will both benefit from the new customer acquisitions and an uplift in sales. The aim is to create a high tech community hub where customer and coffee lovers can go to shop, collect orders and enjoy a hot drink. The new concept will offer a relaxed and sociable shopping experience. Free Wi-Fi is something customers look for in their favourite coffee shop and a large number of stores sales are generated from online. So it is no wonder that brands are starting to look into different ways they can work new technology to their advantage.
The first store will interestingly be opening in Cambridge (rather than London) on the 16th of October this year in an existing Caffe Nero located on Fitzray Street.
