U*tique shop - the world's first automated luxury shop?

-

Innovative automated retail start-up U*tique and beauty retailer STUDIO BEAUTYMIX at Fred Segal, are 'bringing the future of luxury retail' to Los Angeles with the 'U*tique Shop'.

It's the world’s first interactive, automated luxury store for “life’s little emergencies and indulgences” offering a selection of 50 iconic ‘must haves’ from today’s luxury and personal-care segments.

“U*tique Shop is a luxury lifestyle brand, positioned to meet the needs of the on-the-go consumer who appreciates premium, well-crafted products,” says CEO and creator, Mara Segal.

U*tique Shop features an original touch-screen interface, interactive LED lighting design, and a behind-the scenes robot who delivers fragile products from secure storage and direct into the hands of customers. U*tique collaborated with up-and-coming design talent Russell Greenberg, Director of RUX, a New York City based design studio, for the overall design of the machine. “The words upscale, automated and retail are not typically found in the same sentence,” said Greenberg. “ We needed to invent an image and experience for U*tique that was so seductive, elegant, and streamlined that it would instantly transform people’s preconceived notions about what shopping could be. The magic and allure of U*tique is that it combines the shockingly new and the reassuringly ordinary.”

Surely the whole point of the shopping experience, is in fact 'the experience'? Something to savour, to explore and interact with items, to spend time in the choosing and enjoying the buzz and the reward? Do we now live in such a hectic, time-dependent society that we can't possible shop as we use to? The concept is great. In practical terms I'm not sure who will use a luxury goods vending machine, other than for the one-off novelty value. It's a great PR exercise but as a long term prospect I doubt it will connect with the target audience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Nissan Cube – thinking outside the box

-
Image
Love it hate it, there's no denying that the Nissan Cube will certainly get you noticed on the road. With it's Manga style looks and unique asymmetrical style it's certainly a quirky design. It's been described (rather harshly) as a "fridge on wheels", a "bonsai minivan" and a "Brinks Mat van that went into a boil wash"... First launched in Japan over ten years ago, the Cube immediately achieved a cult status and was adopted by the stylish, underground and urban set - the ‘denso’, carefree in spirit, unique in mind. It was intended to appeal to young people passionate about being individual and as a lifestyle choice, more than a car. It has gained a huge cult following within the creative sector with appearances in fashion, magazines, video and commercials, and online. The Cube was even voted one of the 50 cars that changed the world by the London Design Museum. Until now the Cube was only available in the UK as an import. To ret
Read more

The new horror novel 'Forest of Amber' by Scott Johnson

-
Image
The latest novel from Scott Johnson is out now, just in time for Christmas! Forest of Amber is Scott's fourth book. What's the new novel about? 'It's a horror novel that's grounded in folklore. It's a dark psychological chiller. A couple are trying to save their relationship by going on a camping break. Things don't turn out as they'd hoped. It's an examination of human traits; the two main characters have characteristics and faults that we all have, they're troubled, they're angry, they're surviving day-to-day. It also suggests that there's no such thing as wholly good and bad, we're all a mix of good and evil. It's all a matter of perspective. One of the underlying themes that runs though the story is religion and sin. What is it? What do we do with it? Do we all carry sin and guilt irrespective of a religion or is it purely a man-made concept? The novel is an allegory for sin, punishment and forgiveness.' Amber’s life
Read more

Lenovo's new racy Ducati laptop

-
Image
Chinese tech giants Lenovo have teamed up with Italian motorcycle maker Ducati to launch a 'racy' new laptop at CES2020 – the Lenovo Ducati 5. Check out the product promo video . Reminds me of Destiny's Child's 'Independent Woman' video which featured Ducati's 748 motorbikes. "Ducati. A symbol of speed, performance, and innovation. The Lenovo Ducati 5 taps into that spirit. Dynamic and aesthetically engineered, it fuses pure horsepower with style and verve. From the metallic racing chassis elements, this special-edition 14" laptop is sure to ignite your passion. Start your engines." T he limited edition Ducati Lenovo 5 comes with a Ducati Corse logo and red racing stripes. The pattern on the vents is also similar to the Ducati Monster bike trellis frame. Another nice touch is the startup chime which sounds like a revving MotoGP bike. Apart from that the specs are standard: 10th gen Intel Ice Lake Core i5-1035G1 8 GB  RAM 1 TB PCIe
Read more