Boden Chelsea store opens with "at home" concept

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 14, 2017

Boden has finally opened its central London store with its debut in Chelsea also being the retailer’s first high street store. The sizeable space is in Duke of York Square, the shopping centre on the King’s Road.

Designed by retail design specialist Dalziel & Pow, the concept invites customers to shop “at home” with brand founder Johnnie Boden and has plenty of quirky and domestic touches to support this positioning.

It’s a logical concept for the brand to choose. Having started as a mail-order retailer and now being primarily an online vendor, Boden is known as a favourite of middle income Britain and has strong family appeal.

The opening of the 1,821 sq ft space follows the company’s debut in five concessions in John Lewis stores recently and CEO Jill Easterbrook;s expansion strategy will se it opening further standalones and concessions next year.

The Chelsea store’s setting is a Georgian house “with an eccentric British vibe inspired by Johnnie Boden’s unique style and personality”.

The designers said that “found furniture brings an authentic domestic feel, together with hand-painted finishes and dark wooden flooring. Wit and humour are fed into the space through communications, joined by cheeky pops of colour, engaging lifestyle imagery and elements of surprise.”

It has two entrances, one at either end, with shoppers “enticed into individual rooms that gradually reveal Boden’s collection in manageable easy-to-navigate segments." A feature staircase in the centre of the store separates the two floors with Women’s, Accessories and Footwear on the ground floor, then Mini and Baby Boden on the lower Ground.

There’s also a surprising feature in the lift in the form of audio with Johnnie Boden’s voice designed “to facilitate the journey that, coupled with the store’s unique fragrance, adds to the character and charm of the space.”

Dalziel & Power creative director David Dalziel said: “The launch of any established online brand into physical space is a challenge, a challenge to represent the brand in a way it hasn’t needed to consider since its inception. In this store Boden creates its own home from home – the result is a subtle and elegant interpretation that gives the brand a platform for future growth.”

As well as some quirky storytelling around the space that’s likely to appeal to its target market, it’s undeniable that the location itself is a strong one for the brand. Duke of York Square has an aspirational target audience on its doorstep. It’s in an affluent area of London and one that’s also a fashion shopping destination. It’s home to more than 30 boutiques, including Whistles, Zara, Joseph, Wolford, Jigsaw, Links of London, Cos and Monica Vinader.

It also has one of London’s best artisan food markets and the Saatchi Gallery, both of which contribute to its cosmopolitan vibe.