Called Ice-Stores, the new kiosk-style outlets were launched at Brisbane’s Westfield Chermside and Westfield Carindale. Silver Shops Australia, which has 10 retail stores in Queensland, has 100 per cent control of the retail operations.
Both companies believed the appeal of a kiosk-style layout would help foster greater interactivity and fun with consumers, two elements that CEO of Ice Australasia Larry Porter said the brand’s 2.2 million Facebook fans appreciated.
The kiosks are custom-designed for the Australian market and Westfield Shopping Centres with a key attraction being the integration of the Ice-Match technology – an interactive application that matches a watch to each customer.
“This is a new concept for the brand that not only showcases the brand but also provides a fun atmosphere with our Ice-Match and Ice-Game technology providing an interactive experience with the brand,” said Porter.
Prior to the launch, the Ice-Watch had no representation in Westfield’s Chermside and Carindale centres, said to be two premier shopping destinations in Brisbane. Therefore, it was felt the venues were an ideal launching pad for the Ice-Store Kiosks in Queensland.
Porter added: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the Ice-Watch brand and we are very fortunate to have a partner of the calibre of Colin Desbrow. Colin is an exceptional retailer with a wonderful team surrounding him.
“We have always had a partnership approach with our retailers since launching the brand in Australia. This opportunity is indicative of this, as Colin has seen the performance of the brand first-hand and understands the power and potential of the brand in Australia,” Porter said.
New opportunity
“Very importantly, we are extremely committed to our retail channel. What this does highlight is the opportunity for our other retailers to partner with us on this concept. We view Ice-Store Kiosks as a new opportunity for our retailers who want to take it to the next level in their centre. We provide the tools, design and marketing framework for this to happen and allow our retail partners to do what they do best,” he said.
“Secondly, it adds a high level of visibility for the brand.
“Thirdly, our core philosophies are inclusivity and accessibility. By having Ice-Store Kiosks that stock the full range it ensures our full product range is accessible in one store and it enables us to broaden our demographic within these centres,” he added.
The new concept is in line with many of the brand’s previous marketing innovations that have seen it garner international success in just five years, where it has quickly positioned itself as one of the world’s leading fashion watch brands.
Based in Belgium, the company’s growth has rapidly accelerated over the past two years in particular, recording more than four million sales in 2011, double what it had recorded throughout the previous four years. This took total sales since its launch in 2006 beyond six million as of the end of 2011.
Earlier in July, founder and CEO Jean-Pierre Lutgen told Jeweller that the Ice-Watch was ahead of where it was at the same time last year and he expected that the 10 million milestone would be eclipsed before the year was out.
KIOSK DESIGN