Marimekko revamps Helsinki flagship ahead of webstore relaunch

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 20, 2020

Finland’s Marimekko has returned to one of Helsinki’s shopping destination on Pohjoisesplanadi, with a major expansion project for its flagship store now complete.

The revamped location represents the company’s newest store concept that “aims to give customers a strong and holistic experience of the cheerful and colourful Marimekko lifestyle”.

The location in central Helsinki is a place of special significance for the company as the brand’s first flagship store opened on the same block as early as 1974.

Physical retail may be hugely challenged at the moment, but the firm expects a comeback at some point and thinks that experiential retail will be key to attracting shoppers to physical spaces.

But it’s aware that these physical experiences will need to mix with the digital and virtual. 

It said that “in addition to personal and expert customer service, the store also offers new types of service experiences, such as virtual and private shopping and collection presentations in response to consumers’ evolving needs”. 

And it added that “once the exceptional situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic eases, the store intends to serve as an inspirational meeting place for the Marimekko community. In the future, diverse events will be organised in cooperation with local creators and actors of the creative industries”.

President and CEO Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko said the line between e-commerce and physical stores is “constantly blurring, and in the post-pandemic reality, stores need to fulfil their new role even more strongly in the eyes of consumers. Although digitalisation is revolutionising retail, brick-and-mortar stores still play a key role in building the customer experience”.

And as well as this key physical space, the company is also working on a revamp for its webstore that will be unveiled in early 2021.

The company currently has flagship stores in Helsinki, Stockholm, New York, Tokyo and Sydney. Altogether there are about 150 Marimekko stores around the world, and the e-store serves customers in 32 countries.