Selfridges adds Formula One experience to London flagship

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jul 4, 2022

With the British Grand Prix having taken place at Silverstone at the weekend, and moving on to Austria, France and Hungary later this month, Selfridges is aiming to tap into F1 frenzy and has opened a new experience as its London flagship on Oxford Street.

It’s linked with Smartech Retail Group for the ultimate in experiential retail with the opening of a permanent Formula One destination, The Track by Smartech.

It's a good commercial move with Formula One being the fastest growing sport globally last year. The new 55 sq m store is the first flagship for The Track concept globally.

Ads

Smartech has also linked up with The Memento Group to include a 2022 season F1 show car (the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN C42), along with plenty of unique memorabilia and collectible, plus the chance to 'virtually' drive an F1 car. And the real physical car isn't just there as a display, it's actually available for a deep-pocketed customer to buy.

The aim is for the experience to be immersive for fans, collectors and those who might just be visiting the store.

Selfridges technology buying director, Martyn Stroud, said: “We’re delighted to welcome a Formula One car to our Oxford Street store and offer customers the chance to experience the latest in driving simulation. To be the first destination to showcase an F1 car, available to purchase, is an exciting accolade.”

As mentioned, it's a good move for Selfridges as the value of F1 is massive and should generate plenty of footfall for the wider shop. The average audience for each Grand Prix race last year was over 70 million, which was up 13% on a comparable basis against 2020. The global TV audience for Formula One is also as much as 445 million people.