Sonos is replicating the experience people have at home with its sound systems in its first European store as it looks to boost advocacy and bring the brand to a wider audience.
Sonos is opening its first concept store in London today (16 November) as it looks to widen its appeal and convince more shoppers they should consider buying one of its home sound systems.
The store, located in Seven Dials near Covent Garden, features two ‘Listening Rooms’ – acoustically-tuned, house-shaped structures designed to replicate the multi-room listening experience Sonos sells. Guests will be able to stream their own music into the rooms while at the same time testing out the speakers and system.
The store also has an event space downstairs that will play host to an ongoing series of screenings, cultural talks and installations. The first, currently on display, celebrates David Bowie with a series of rarely seen images of the singer’s London life. And tomorrow (17 November), the store will honour his work through the stories of artists and fans, including musicians Graham Coxon, Carl Barat and Goldie.
The London store is Sonos’s second following the opening of a space in New York in July last year. While Sonos has wide retail distribution, selling in retailers including John Lewis, Amazon and Currys/PC World, the brand has realised recently that it needs its own space to promote the brand experience and widen its customer base.
Speaking to Marketing Week at a press event prior to the opening, Whitney Walker, Sonos Stores general manager, explains: “Up until the time we built the Sonos store the best place to discover Sonos was at a friend’s house. We have tried to recreate that sense of discovery in a retail environment.
“Advocacy is an awesome tool but at the same time if it’s your best tool you’ve got to tailor your business model to it. Because our business is speakers it means everyone has to stop by a friend’s house. That is hard to control or scale.”.....
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