Online retailer Missguided opened its first standalone store in Westfield Stratford today in what it is promising will be the start of an ambitious retail roll-out.
After an exuberant launch party last night, hosted by 88-year-old style icon and internet sensation Baddie Winkle, the doors were opened on the 20,000 sq ft store this morning with the first 50 guests enjoying a free WAH manicure.
The store, which is heavy on pink, fun and interaction, was designed by leading retail design consultancy Dalziel & Pow and features eye-catching installations such as a bright pink monster truck and a motor bike.
Inspired by a TV studio, it also incorporates a live stream of “of-the-moment content, fashion and inspiration” and plenty of “shareable moments” for its Snapchat-obsessed customers.
It was conceived to make the brand, which was founded in Manchester in 2009 as an online only proposition, stand out on a crowded and homogenised high street.
Missguided already has two concessions in the Birmingham and Manchester branches of Selfridges but this is the first standalone store, which the brand’s founder Nitin Passi said was a “natural progression”.
“Stores are something our customers have been asking us for, for a number of years, and it give us a great opportunity to bring the brand to life. We believe the retail environment on the high street has got a bit stale so we have decided to take some of our online learnings and brand DNA into a physical space and use technology and in store experiences to bring them to life.
“Social is huge for us so this will be a prominent feature throughout the stores and we will promote interaction with our customers as well as use the store as an opportunity to attract new customers who wouldn’t necessarily shop with us online,” he said.
