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Situ Live: Unique Retail Experience Launches at Westfield

Situ Live

Situ Live debuts a revolutionary retail experience at Westfield London.

Situ Live, an exciting and immersive consumer experience, which reimagines
the traditional commercial retail model, has opened the doors to the
UK’s first discovery playhouse, at Westfield London.

Situ Live offers a one-of-a-kind experience-led journey that combines
product discovery, innovation, theatre, and demonstrations, with a smooth,
hassle-free route to purchase.

The debut venue will be packed with products designed to inspire your
every day, across a series of specially curated, themed theatres, brought to
life by live storytelling. Spanning 7,500 square feet of dynamic,
experiential space in Europe’s largest shopping centre, it’s an innovation
destination like no other, where visitors can explore the latest devices
from a selection of cutting-edge brands, in action and try them before they
buy. The venue will be situated opposite the soon-to-open Apple store in
Westfield London’s newly established ‘Innovation Alley’.

Situ Live turns the traditional retail model on its head by focusing on
discovery and exploration, supported by a seamless, digital path to
purchase.

Visitors will be taken on an interactive journey of discovery through
vibrant theatres that will constantly evolve. Content is curated around
current trends and solving problems people grapple with in real life, such
as getting fit, sleeping better or being more productive. The venue’s
approachable and knowledgeable team are then able to suggest products as
the solution, as well as offer expert advice. This thoughtful and
meaningful approach to retail is further strengthened by live performances
with fully functioning products, so guests get a genuine idea of how they
work and how they will improve their daily lives.

Warren Richmond, chief executive officer, Situ Live says; “Put simply, the
retail landscape needs to be transformed and that is what we are doing with
the launch of Situ Live.”

“Both the retail and events industries have been hit hard by the pandemic,
but if 2020 taught us anything, it’s the value of human connection and
social experiences. We believe that in the post-pandemic world people are
looking to retail, leisure and event experiences to create unique and
lasting memories which makes now the perfect time to launch Situ Live.”

“Retail needs reinvigorating as endless rows of boxes on shelves are
boring. Instead, retail must redefine its role and develop a new purpose to
capture the hearts and minds of modern-day consumers. With this new purpose
comes change and the development of a new commercial model.

“Brands need to provide a space for consumers to understand how products
work and how they may fit into and benefit their lives, whilst giving them
the choice of where, when and how to buy the product. However traditional
retail makes creating a space like this cost-prohibitive for many brands.
With Situ Live we remove those barriers by fundamentally changing the
commercial retail model.”

“Situ Live will be the only venue in the retail landscape to encourage you
to buy from other retailers. Our aim is to continuously pioneer retail
firsts, with brands and shoppers at the heart of what we do and place the
UK back on the global map for simple retail excellence and business model innovation. With the backing of leaders from some amazing, forward-thinking, global brands as well as founders of new start-up and innovator brands, the UK can lead the charge in the retail revolution.”

At the venue

Situ Live’s lifestyle theatres and live demo areas have been specially
designed to inspire your everyday by award-winning creative experience
agency, Bearded Kitten, rather than traditional shopfitters.

As well as a fully working kitchen, complete with delicious food and drink
to try, you’ll find a connected lounge, a home gym fitness zone, relaxation
areas for sleep and wellbeing, mobile working inspiration, adventures in
transport and travel, hands-on gaming, and education technology.

Visitors’ voyage of discovery also includes the exclusive opportunity to
interact with Maserati’s MC20 super sports car and experience the Oculus
Quest 2 all-in-one VR headset in its own dedicated space. A central stage
with seating will also play host to an exciting calendar of live
performances, guest appearances, and workshops to be announced.

Check out without the checkout

With no tills and no pushy salespeople, Situ Live takes retail into a new
era.

If visitors find something they like, they simply scan a QR code, save it
to their Situ Live favourites list, and decide whether to buy online on
their own terms in their own time, comparing prices as they go. This fresh
approach to physical retail puts the power back into the hands of the
consumer, meaning shoppers can discover, touch, and feel products in real life, while benefitting from the ease and choice of online shopping in
their own time – it’s the best of both worlds.

Inspired partnerships at Situ Live

From launch, Situ Live will work with 75 of the world’s leading innovation
brands, including Bosch, Lutron, Maserati, NordicTrack, Oculus, and Opera
Beds. The comprehensive line-up of life-changing products comprises further
famous names, such as Anthony Mullan, Artemide, Bang & Olufsen, BoConcept,
Epson, Facebook, Fitbit, Philips, Sage, Sonos and Tefal.

A special focus will also be placed on entrepreneurial innovations, such as
Coravin’s wine preservation system, the world’s lightest folding e-bike
from Perry eHopper, and La Pochette’s stylish and sustainable gym kit. By
collaborating closely with such forward-thinking companies, Situ Live can
deliver a one-of-a-kind, personalised experience with their products,
generating engagement and demand, and enabling a connected customer
journey.

Warren Richmond, comments; “We will be working with our brand partners to
create an ever-evolving experiential retail experience, with a rolling
programme of exclusive content and events. No two visits to Situ Live will
be the same. The aim is to become this year’s go-to destination within
Westfield London for Christmas shopping and beyond.”

The UK’s safest retail space

All of this comes with the added peace of mind that Situ Live is the UK’s
safest retail destination. Thanks to a partnership with SafePrem®
Solutions, the venue employs several state-of-the-art technologies, such as ionisation to cleanse the air of viruses and harmful bacteria, anti-microbial screen protectors*, plus electrostatic cleaning across all products and surfaces***.

Europe’s largest shopping centre attracts 27m visits per year and generates
more than £1bn in revenue from a wide catchment area across London, the
home counties, and beyond. Additional Situ Live venues are planned for
2022.

Scurri