The opening of Selfridges’ permanent gaming outlet, in partnership with Smartech, aims to create a new era of experiential retail for gamers.
The Playhouse flagship store, which spans 200 sq m in Selfridges’ London flagship, features the latest must-have consoles including the PlayStation 5 and Xbox X. It also includes in-demand products such as the Spectacles by Snapchat. Visitors can purchase a selection of games, as well as take the opportunity to play arcade games, such as Pacman, in the store’s ‘retro playground’.
Visitors to the store can also book some of the store’s virtual reality experiences, including RobocomVR Transformer – Invasion of the Decepticons, a game that promises to immerse customers into a virtual world of transformers. For the Formula 1 enthusiasts, there is an interactive e-sport studio that will debut Aston Martin’s AMR-C01 racing simulator.
The Playhouse store will play host to a series of monthly events, such as coding workshops targeted at women and PS5 Fifa tournaments, as well as a console personalisation station with Controller Modz. The store will eventually offer in-store gaming-PC building workshops for those eager to learn more about their devices.
The move to open a permanent games-focused fixture in Selfridges comes following reports that the global games market is expected to surpass a total value of $138bn (£100bn) this year.
Smartech chief executive and co-founder Nathalie Bernce said: “Playhouse is a new kind of gaming shop, set out to create unforgettable experiences people will enjoy as memories long after they leave.
“We want people to walk into the store and feel immersed, inspired and excited by the world of play and we can’t wait to finally welcome customers back to our store.”
Selfridges technology buying director, Martyn Stroud added: “After a successful collaboration last year, we’re excited to introduce the Playhouse concept to a permanent destination in our technology department where visitors can try out the latest in gaming innovations such as VR and simulators. The launch takes place as part of a transformation of our tech department, offering customers more experiential elements and reasons to come and visit.”
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