Concept Stores: Bringing Innovative Ideas, Experiences To Indian Malls

The concept store is, by definition, a place where new ideas are put together in a bid to enhance the shopper experience and sell more products. In addition, many concept stores offer experimental elements such as a café or exhibition space, enhancing their appeal to those shoppers seeking a particular lifestyle…

- Sandeep Kumar

The Indian retail real estate market is hugely influence by the West and hence, it won’t be wrong to say that the shopping mall culture in India is a gift from the West. The design of the mall, events organised by the mall, zoning – retail, dining, entertainment, play areas, activity zones – are all inspired by malls in American and European markets. When studying malls in terms of themes, technology and digitalisation, India look towards the West in a bid to understand, learn and implement similar ideas in malls in India.

One great idea which India took from the west and moulded according to Indian consumer demands, was the ‘concept store’.

What are Concept Stores?

In layman terms, a concept store is a store which offers something unique, aside from just bring an outlet which sells items. They are stores which surprise the customer and grab his attention using the façade, the theme, the visual appearance, the lighting, ambiance and even the products. They make their consumers curious by acting as inspirational spaces where one can discover new products and places making it an aspirational lifestyle platform.

The concept store is, by definition, a place where new ideas are put together in a bid to enhance the shopper experience and sell more products. In addition, many concept stores offer experimental elements such as a café or exhibition space, enhancing their appeal to those shoppers seeking a particular lifestyle.

With the explosion of e-commerce on the retail scene, malls are improvising to rake in the footfalls by re-imagining and re-engineering themselves as ‘Consumer Engagement Spaces’. They are investing in experiential retail through the introduction of concept stores.