With the growing appeal of shopping online, bricks-and-mortar stores have to figure out ways to offer a little extra to entice customers off their comfortable couches and through their doors.
Yas Mall’s latest addition – high-end department store Tryano, which opened in November – aims to meet that challenge by introducing to Abu Dhabi the concept of “retail-tainment”.
A definitive experience
Making shopping fun and entertaining is the key at Tryano. Developed by the Chalhoub Group (also behind Level Shoe District in The Dubai Mall), it is all about offering a “transformative experience”, says general manager Hamdi Kulahcioglu.
“We don’t think of Tryano as a classic store,” says Kulahcioglu. “We call it a speciality store offering three levels – as well as services. It is highly innovative and designed specifically for this market.”
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See pictures of our top Tryano picks
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Out of the ordinary
Spread over three floors, Tryano is well-lit, open-plan and dares to be different. The shop assistants are friendly and eager to help, and carry iPads to assist the mostly female shoppers enamoured by the wide assortment of designer handbags.
The layout is quirky and unlike conventional department stores, with products seemingly set out at random but, upon closer inspection, are arranged according to season, with colossal bird cages and mini “orchards” comprising a mix of fake and real plants. A complicated, conceptual maze on the middle floor displays the must-have bags of the season. A stainless-steel sink installed at the Molton Brown counter allows patrons to test for free the brand’s liquid hand soaps.
Shop till you drop
The top floor, which is dedicated to children, is set up with boutiques by Moschino, Fendi, Dior and Burberry. It also houses the impressive pastry cafe and restaurant La Pâtisserie des Rêves, which opened this week. There is also a custom-made white carousel – designed in Italy – for kids to enjoy for free while their parents shop. Coming soon are the Palace Garden activity centre and store, set up in partnership with Disney, a children’s play zone, a photography studio and the first Bumble Bee baby store in Abu Dhabi.
The middle floor houses the beauty and accessories section – there is no apparel, strangely – and is filled with stand-alone boutiques by designers like Valentino, Christian Louboutin, Kate Spade and Carolina Herrera. Brands including Escada, Elie Saab, L’Occitane, Giorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabbana and Kiehl’s have beauty booths, selling cosmetics, fragrances, candles, soaps and more.
The bottom floor will open later this year, but Kulahcioglu won’t reveal what will be on offer.
High-end all the way
Exclusivity is the key here, with more than 70 designer brands exclusive to the UAE, including Barbara Rihl handbags, Courrèges handbags, Essa kidswear, Judith Leiber’s one-of-a-kind crystal purses, Lolita Lorenzo clutches, and Philip Klein children’s wear.
Although there are also a few more-affordable labels – such as OshKosh B’Gosh, Pablosky and Stride Rite – and pocket-friendly toys by French brand Moulin Roty, the store is clearly geared towards those with heftier wallets.
Stellar service
Friendly and knowledgeable sales staff are happy to assist, with iPads on hand to help customers find anything they want (and to register with the store using Etihad Guest IDs, to gain frequent-flyer miles).
The shop offers all manner of personal services: a bag spa lets you drop off old purses in need of repair, or new ones for a spot of monogramming. Prices vary depending on the size of the bag and customer’s requirements.
There’s also a stroller spa opening soon, where you can roll up with your pram and have it cleaned.
And head to Théophile & Patachou to hire their design services if you need a nursery decorated – they will even outsource the wallpaper and hardwood floors for you.
The free concierge service will valet-park your car, deliver your purchases to your home or hotel for free, show you to a private lounge for a rest if you require it, book you appointments at the women’s or men’s spa that will open next month and set you up with a personal shopper.
Kulahcioglu believes that such details will have customers returning for more.
“We want customers to come and explore, and not be content with a flat shopping environment.
“We’ve thought of everything – and we have plenty more to come,” says Kulahcioglu.
artslife@thenational.ae
