Dixons Carphone opens ‘most innovative store yet’ with its own coffee shop, in-store Wi-Fi and virtual queue system

Dixons Carphone has opened a new flagship store on London’s Oxford Street that will act as a lab to test new ideas and concepts.

Dixons says the outlet – which merges the PC World, Currys and Carphone Warehouse brands – is its most innovative store yet.

The shop is designed with busy Londoners and visitors in mind, offering ‘a carefully curated range of premium products with a focus on convenient take away items’. A new graphical signage scheme guides time-sensitive Londoners.

In-store technology includes multi-functional tablets, allowing employees to assist customers with services and demos, a virtual queue management system which removes the need for customers to physically queue, as well as Dixons’ largest digital sign behind the cash desk (16 screens measuring 10m in length overall).

Then there’s O2 Smart Steps which creates a heat map of customer in-store flow and browse points, and grabs customer info, as well as dedicated ‘multi-play space’ manned by an expert which provides bundles and tailored packages for customers, including TV and broadband bundles, connected devices and on-demand content. 

There’s also a digital feature wall – the biggest screen on Oxford Street – with 50 square metres of LED screen panels overall, delivering 4K content, as well as the first combined and dedicated consultation space for PC World Business and Knowhow.

There’s in-store O2 Wi-Fi, IoT products on display, a Nespresso store-within-a-store offering complimentary ‘coffee-while-you-wait’ to customers wanting to take time over a purchase, as well as a Dyson store-within-a-store concept focusing on easy-to-carry products.

Check out more images of the new Dixons Oxford Street store on PCR’s Facebook page:

"It is the most up to date expression of what Dixons Carphone stands for as a company: technology, connectivity, service, knowledge and the widest, yet most relevant, range of products," the firm said in a statement.

"Oxford Street is a model for future high street 3-in-1 stores with successful elements also being rolled out to the wider estate."

Dixons first announced it would be closing 134 stores as part of a £50 million 3-in-1 store revamp earlier this year.

Yesterday Dixons reported its 2015 full-year financial results, hailing a ‘momentous year’ for the business but reported a weaker demand for computing goods.

Seb James, Group Chief Executive, Dixons Carphone, commented: “I’m very excited to be opening our new Oxford Street store, which brings together our latest thinking in Currys, PC World and Carphone Warehouse on the high street.

"Oxford Street is one of the most iconic shopping destinations in the world and it seems apt that we are launching a flagship store here. We have designed a real destination store that’s full of innovation and technology firsts that I’m sure our customers will love.

"The retail environment continues to evolve and we know that our customers are incredibly discerning, so we need to provide an exciting, engaging and connected shopping experience combined with competitive pricing and excellent service. We hope our customer will agree that Oxford Street provides all that and more and we look forward to helping them in store.” 

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