// EE opens its first experiential retail flagship in Westfield London
// The Studio format will be rolled out to Cardiff, Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Bluewater over the summer.
EE will open the doors to its new Westfield London flagship on Friday as it steps into the world of experiential retail.
The 4,230 sq ft space, located on the first floor and dubbed the EE studio, includes a gaming area, digital spa and co-work space.
The new format is part of EE’s new retail strategy to reinvent the role of mobile phone shops by putting innovation and customer experience front and centre.
Shoppers walking into the store are met with a seated area filled with sofas, workbenches and collaborative worktops where visitors can enjoy a complimentary hot drink, catch up on emails or speak to a member of the team.
At the back of the shop is EE’s new digital spa where visitors can unwind through guided meditations and a relax in an immersive sensory room.
Subscribe to Retail Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest news straight into your inbox each morning
Next to the digital spa is the store’s gaming zone which allows shoppers to play with the latest games and consoles, as well as enjoy racing simulators and virtual reality headsets.
Taking notes from Apple, the store has dedicated space for events and workshops to invite customers to learn about the latest products and develop digital skills.
This is the first EE studio format store and will be rolled out in Cardiff, Manchester’s Trafford Centre and Bluewater over the summer.
Speaking on the new store format, EE managing director of commercial Bridget Lea said: “What we’ve tried to do is create the antithesis of traditional mobile phone shops.”
“This is not about coming in to sell you something and see you in two years for an upgrade, this is about coming in today, next week and the week after.
“Our Studio store has been designed to create standout experiences that reflect the changing needs of our customers and the increasingly connected lives they lead,” she added.
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
