Burberry's social retail store in China is powered by Tencent technology
Burberry announces the brand’s first social retail store in China’s technology hub Shenzhen, blending the physical and social worlds in a digitally immersive retail experience.
The store, which opens in the new Shenzhen Bay MixC development and is powered by Tencent technology, is a space of exploration, designed to inspire and entertain luxury customers, where they can interact with the brand and product in person and on social media.
The concept, which is the first step in an exclusive partnership with Tencent, takes interactions from social media and brings them into a physical retail environment. Through a dedicated WeChat mini programme, customers can unlock exclusive content and personalised experiences and share them with their communities.
Customers can access features on the WeChat mini programme such as store tours, dedicated client services, in-store appointment bookings, events and table reservations in Thomas’s Cafe, the in-store café and community space.
Not only that, customers can earn rewards through the Burberry social currency feature, unlocking exclusive content and personalised experiences. Each customer is given a playful animal character that evolves as they engage in-store and social, with new characters and outfits to discover. The rewards range from exclusive café menu items to mini programme content.
The store is made up of a series of spaces that customers can explore for a unique interactive experience. Drawing upon Burberry’s rich heritage, the store also celebrates the house codes as reinterpreted by Riccardo Tisci, including the Trench Coat, the Thomas Burberry Monogram, Nature and the Burberry Animal Kingdom.
Riccardo Tisci, Chief Creative Officer at Burberry shared: “I am fascinated by the balance between nature and technology, and the energy that connects the two. This store explores this relationship, blending the digital and the physical realms in an exciting new concept.”
“I wanted to bring this love of the outdoors to life through all the elements of the store, which can be seen in the Burberry Animal Kingdom prints in the café as well as in the fully immersive Trench Experience and even in the small details of the design materials. I really wanted to draw upon these familiar house codes to bring our community together in an interactive journey of discovery.”
