Harmay, a successful online cosmetic brand opens their flagship store in Beijing.
How could a physical space support an e-platform brand, and vice versa? As designers, we wanted to create a shopping adventure that differentiate from the traditional retail shopping experience, yet still reflects Harmay’s identity as an efficient and industrialized line of an e-commerce brand. Stepping into the online retail giant’s physical stores is like peeking behind the scenes of their business. The products, distribution, and delivery processes are all made available for consumers to engage with.
The warehouse space is spread out over two floors, where there is a gaping void - quite literally, we hacked out a part of the ceiling to create more visibility. The first floor displays a range of petite products, showcased on a curvilinear assembly table. The table acts like a conveyor belt of a factory, mimics the movement of a production line, in which all the lucrative and fast moving products are displayed.
A spiral staircase swirls up from the assembly table, five uniquely themed spaces awaits upstairs: a white travel kit room displays see through bags, filled with travel size merchandise, hanging elegantly along the walls; a perfume bar with colorful flower patterned wall romantically tributes to the lasting power of scent; a curtained, semi-private backstage dressing room for costumers to try on makeups; a niche room dedicated to luxury & unique brands only available at Harmay; lastly, a white, gallery-like blank space for imagination, or collaboration with local artists.
Last year more than 40 countries took part in the WIN Awards with strong showings from Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. And we saw some truly outstanding interior designs, take a look at the winners from last year here.