Virgin Media has unveiled a new format store featuring a living room in store and interactive shopping walls.

Virgin said the store, in the Westfield London shopping centre, “reinvents the shopping experience” though innovative design and new technology.

The quirky store features a digital door next to the main entrance from which a digital versions of a T-Rex, owner Richard Branson and Olympians and brand ambassadors Mo Farah and Usain Bolt emerge to ‘greet’ visitors.

The store has coffee shop, areas for shoppers to browse online or look through its product range on tablets and computers as well as merchandising for its mobile phones.  

The store features no traditional tills and all store staff will be able to process sales on their tablets.

Kinetic gesture controlled screens and interactive panels allow the customer to browse the retailer’s range. It also has screens on the ceiling with Virgin hot air balloons appearing to float through a blue sky.

Virgin Media retail director Paul Williams said: “We’re in the business of connecting and entertaining people whether they’re at home or on the move, so we wanted to inject fun into the shopping experience too.

“This transformational approach is inspired by what our customers have been telling us and we’ve created a more immersive experience in keeping with our Virgin heritage.”

Elements of the 1,100sq ft store’s design will be rolled out to Virgin’s 80 UK stores if the trial is successful, Williams told Retail Week.