Welcome to London, a city celebrating something quite special, the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. London is a city that knows how to do pomp and pageantry better than anyone, but who's making the most of the commercial opportunity at retail? We take a look at London retail through the eyes of the shopper...
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Photo credit: Dr Retail
Laduree
The first brand who caught our eye was upmarket French patisserie, Laduree, who has created an exclusive macaroon flavour marking this historic occasion. As part of Laduree’s celebration they have designed a limited-edition gift box, featuring the official coronation emblem designed by Sir Jony Ive depicting the flora of the 4 nations of the United Kingdom. A beautiful display of Union Jack boxes surrounded by peonies and roses feels special and creates an opportunity for shoppers to buy into the occasion- at a retail price of £25 for 8 macarons let’s hope they are fit for a King… and Queen.
Photo credit: Dr Retail
Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason are celebrating with a wide range of commemorative produce from teas, biscuits, preserves and drinks as part of the ‘Coronation Collection’ that’s available both instore and online. Their beautiful and eye-catching window displays celebrate the wild diversity of nature and animals from the commonwealth, while a statement upcycled 7m high peacock scaling the outside of the store not only attracts attention but is made sustainably using old tea tins to create its 1298 feathers.
As a royal warrant holder, Fortnum and Mason shows how to commercialise a historic event with both style and sophistication.
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Photo credit: Ruby Taylor
Oxford St
Recently there has been much conversation around Oxford Street losing its appeal as a shopping destination, becoming over populated with less desirable ‘touristic’ stores. The coronation weekend offers a perfect opportunity for retailers to unite in celebration, using creative and engaging displays to capture shopper attention and drive footfall in-store. Unfortunately we saw little in the way of creative celebration of the event on London’s iconic street- not even a nod in the windows from Royal Warrant holders Selfridges! Despite the #GetYourRoyalOn campaign, a map designed by British illustrator Ruby Taylor guiding shoppers through everything regal on Oxford St, this fell short at retail. A perfect example of how a great campaign concept can be let down by the physical delivery if not considered end to end.
Photo credit: The Ivy
The Ivy, West Street
A stunning floral installation has been created for The Ivy in celebration of the coronation, featuring oversized crowns and a giant lion’s head creating a perfect photo opportunity. By far one of the most creative and beautiful displays we saw, the restaurant has created majestic décor to accompany its specially created dishes and cocktails inspired by the King’s favourite drink, Beefeater Gin, along with an afternoon tea with royalty inspired patisseries and desserts.
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Photo credit: Dr Retail
Liberty
The iconic retailer has created an area in store filled with royalty keepsakes, from embellished crown baubles to ‘king and queen’ mugs, even black cab biscuit tins. In celebration, Liberty have designed a silk twill scarf inspired by a collection of commemorative Liberty scarves from the 1930’s and 1950’s.
The store window design is simple, but refined with the official Coronation emblem alongside Union Jack bunting and visibility of displays stacked with memorabilia. Given the authentic beauty of the Liberty building, sometimes simplicity can reign supreme.
Photo credit: Dr Retail
Nespresso
How to create impact on the high street? Be big, bold and put your product at the heart of the design. Nespresso delivers a highly visual approach to its coronation windows, using the simplicity of red, white and blue Vertou coffee pods they have created a large Union Jack design, seemingly suspended in thin air. A patriotic approach fit for royalty.
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