A revamped opticians was part of a brand new Boots concept store in London’s Covent Garden that opened its doors for the first time last week.
Situated on Long Acre opposite Covent Garden Tube station, the two-floor 28,524 square foot store will serve as a test bed for new retail concepts that will filter through to the retailer’s network of 2,500 stores and 618 optical practices.
‘Customer research has shown that Boots and Boots Opticians customers are looking for an in-store experience,’ said Boots Opticians marketing director Madeline Shaw. ‘When they’re looking for an optician, they’re looking for someone that is brilliant at the eye health aspect but will also make them look and feel great.’
Most of new measures are ‘front of house’ said Shaw. ‘Customers already trust our clinical offering, but we wanted to make the second part of the retail journey, choosing frames and lenses, much more engaging and fun.’
Furniture in the practice mirrors that used through the rest of the store, with clean, white surfaces and black metal fittings that create contrast. Break out areas give patients a space away from the racks to talk to a new team of in-store frame stylists that have been trained in partnership with the London School of Styling. The addition of digital screen and a selfie camera add an element of fun interaction.
The new practice will also the first Boots Opticians to offer frames from Catch London, a new brand curated exclusively for the multiple by British eyewear designer Tom Davies.
