Reinventing retail - the Dyson way
Two decades after the introduction of Dyson Demo stores reinvented the way we retail, we're opening up our stores online to redefine the virtual retail space.
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Solving problems others ignore is the Dyson way, and that extends across everything we do from pioneering new products, to research and retail. When the first Dyson store opened in 2000 in Paris, there was very little like it. Often technology was sold in large department stores, stacked high and ready to buy. It wasn’t a tailored experience that helped potential owners understand the machines or technologies they were buying. Now, two decades after the introduction of Dyson Demo stores reinvented the way we retail, we're opening up our stores online to refedefine the virtual retail space.
The Dyson Demo store set out to solve that and breathed new life into the way people shop for technology. By design, it redefined retail and offered a unique experience for people and potential Dyson owners.
The first Dyson store opened in Rue de la Boetie in Paris and it had all the hallmarks of a sculpture gallery. A clean aesthetic where Dyson vacuum cleaners, instead of sculptures, stood tall on plinths and expert Dyson advisers were on hand to provide information about the technology on display. It offered a fundamentally different way to showcase technology and an entirely new and exciting retail experience.
“Since we first started enabling owners to buy from us directly, we have been focused on understanding how we explain our technology, educating on why it pioneers and responds to a real problem.
“Doing this in a cluttered environment with stacked boxes or in the online equivalent, where endless pages of irrelevant and sometimes non-genuine products vie for attention, is just confusing. We think people want to get the right information quickly, and to hear it from the people who know best – those who actually invented, developed and manufactured the technology.”
- James Dyson, Founder and Chief Engineer
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Since then, the number of Dyson Demo stores has grown to over 200 worldwide, with every single one championing a minimalist, gallery-like feel. Each store focuses on the technology inside Dyson’s machines, with demonstration zones and interactive displays that show the designs at work.
And they have grown to sell not only vacuums but an entire suite of technologies to keep your home, air and hair healthy.
From a wall of debris that can be thrown on the floor and vacuumed up to show the effectiveness of Dyson vacuums, to smoke boxes that show clouded air being purified in an instant, to Beauty Labs where shoppers can have their hair styled with the latest Dyson technology, Dyson Demo stores focus on offering owners an uninterrupted, hands-on experience; the ultimate in “try-before-you-buy” retail.
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Stores without walls
Fast forward two decades and the Dyson Demo stores have gone virtual. At an unprecedented time for retail, with lockdowns preventing people from visiting physical stores, Dyson transformed its digital retail spaces to be able to offer the best possible virtual experience. No matter where you are in the world, you can browse Dyson technologies through a fully interactive virtual tour of Dyson’s London, LA, Paris and Guangzhou stores, giving a whole new meaning to shopping online.
From the comfort of home, prospective Dyson owners can “walk” around these stores virtually, learning about the engineering processes behind Dyson’s full range of machines. These virtual Dyson Demo stores replicate not just the physical layout of the stores but also the experience. Unobstructed by pages of competing product listings and pop-up adverts, shoppers can get the information they need, when they need it. Dyson Experts who are trained by Dyson engineers themselves – are available for live video demonstrations of any Dyson machine or styling tool. People can book online demos, speak to Experts directly through live chat functionality and avoid hours of browsing for the right advice.
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And Dyson’s retail vision isn’t slowing down. More physical Dyson Demo stores are in the pipeline for 2021, despite the pandemic. The most recent store was opened in Seoul, Korea and is Dyson’s largest Dyson Demo store to date.
The online experience is set to evolve even further as Dyson pioneers new technology to offer a universal virtual space. More tools are in development to help potential owners find the machine that’s perfect for their home . From augmented reality to help owners see Dyson’s latest purifiers in their indoor environments before they buy to hair diagnostic tools, Dyson is set to continue innovating how it sells to give potential owners an unparalleled retail experience, both on and offline.
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Press contacts
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Liv Thomas
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