Even as tech has steadily become integrated into every aspect of our lives, doing things that were barely imaginable just a few decades ago, one element of the tech landscape has been slow to evolve — the retail experience. With the exception perhaps of the Apple Store, which debuted more than 20 years ago, the spaces where today’s cutting-edge technologies are displayed and sold can still feel disconcertingly traditional and unimaginative — certainly not on par with the innovation of the products they showcase.
Nathalie Bernce and Jacov Nachtailer set out to change that with Smartech Retail, a series of experiential in-store concessions in some of the biggest department stores around the world, including Selfridges in London, KaDeWe in Berlin and Rinascente in Rome. Now they are bringing the experience to America with their first standalone store, tm:rw, which opened its doors on July 29 in New York City’s Times Square.
Creating a ‘Sensorial Playground’ to Try Out New Tech
“The acceleration of ecommerce has led to a consolidation of retailers that emphasize sales volume over client experience, leaving brands with very few opportunities to showcase their innovative products in the dynamic environments they require,” explained Jordan Traxler, Global Head of Marketing for tm:rw, in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “Bernce and Nachtailer launched tm:rw in clever recognition of this gap, a sensorial playground that blends state-of-the-art technology with interactive product experiences to solve consumers’ growing frustrations with the look-but-don’t-touch formulas of big-box giants and ecommerce.”
Perhaps no category needs this kind of hands-on approach more than technology. When simply displayed or described, new innovations like virtual reality or tech-enhanced performance products can fail to resonate. At tm:rw, not only can you touch and try these products, but you’re encouraged to.
Advertisement
The new 20,000-square-foot tm:rw flagship, located in the historic Candler Building, aims to offer a dynamic show space that enables sensorial product interactions, allowing shoppers to truly experience and discover emerging tech products across gaming, wellness, food, beauty and sports.
The space was designed by Harry Nuriev, Founder and Creative Director of Crosby Studios, who has created a store that Traxler described as “architecturally playful, future-forward and intentional at every turn, right down to atmospheric lighting and tactile details.”
As for the choice of Times Square for the company’s U.S. debut, Traxler pointed to the neighborhood’s legacy as “the epicenter of commerce and culture in New York,” adding that the area’s “engaged, global foot traffic makes it the perfect stage and platform for showcasing the world’s most exciting innovations.” With its debut, tm:rw hopes to join the renaissance of this neighborhood, “reinvigorating Times Square as a destination for the fantastic,” Traxler said.
More Than 140 Tech Brands on Display (and Ready to Play)
At its debut, tm:rw features more than 140 brands, from startups to well-known names, with new brands joining the mix regularly. For example, the 517-square-foot “Corner Shop” area will serve as a showcase for newer brands, with new products rotating every four to six weeks. To kick things off, the Corner Shop is featuring wearable health and fitness trackers from Whoop, and that will be followed by next-generation chargers from Anker.
“We built tm:rw with our brand partners at the heart of everything,” said Traxler. “This space exists to support them, celebrate their innovations and treat their products with the care and respect they deserve. We always say, ‘tm:rw is your store.’ They’re free to experiment, explore and push boundaries — within the framework of our shared design language. We’re not here to dictate; we’re here to guide, like a creative partner.”
Traxler declined to share what, if any, financial participation is involved on the part of the brands in exchange for placement in the store; however, this kind of tech showcase concept is not completely new to the retail landscape.
Retail innovator Vibhu Norby first introduced his retail-as-a-service model with a tech test-and-try concept b8ta, similar philosophically to tm:rw, in 2017. When that didn’t take, he shifted the model to the web3-focused Solana Spaces concept, also intended to give consumers the opportunity to touch and feel some of the nebulous new technologies of the internet. Neither concept ever really took off, but in both cases, brands paid to be featured in the stores.
Creating Spaces for Interactive Brand Storytelling
Regardless of tm:rw’s financial model, these previous concepts attempted to tackle the same problem as the new store — giving consumers the chance to truly experience ingenious, but often unfamiliar and therefore somewhat intimidating, new technologies. However, tm:rw does seem to be doing so in an even more expansive and immersive way.
“tm:rw is a space where innovation enhances — not replaces — the human experience,” explained Traxler. “As a hub for out-of-the-box thinkers, disruptors and creators, our experiential model sets the scene for fresh new ideas by centering discovery and play. Each brand activation is not a simple stock display but a moment of distinctive, interactive storytelling.”
Among the brands and experiences featured at the store’s debut are:
- The aforementioned Whoop, which is the first brand to be featured in the rotating Corner Shop concept space;
- LG has created a full “boutique” within the store to showcase its latest offerings, including the world’s first transparent 4K smart TV (one of only three currently on public display in the U.S.);
- The Barber Shop, featuring interactive mirrors and premium grooming from P&G’s suite of brands, including Gillette, Braun and Art of Shaving;
- The Sanctuary: A soundproof sonic oasis designed for tech-enabled mindfulness and featuring technologies from Amazon Alexa;
- The world’s largest 3D retail hologram from HYPERVSN — the company behind the Las Vegas Sphere entertainment venue — accompanied by an AI-powered digital avatar and immersive window displays;
- Capsix’s AI robotic massage products;
- VR platform Birdly, which offers a hyper-realistic simulation from the Somniacs AG team, allowing customers to experience the sensation of flying;
- Playhouse: a tech playground for e-sports, VR and video games, including PlayStation 5 consoles from Sony Interactive Entertainment;
- An interactive karaoke experience by Vizio MicMe called The Studio and set in a plush throwback living room setting;
- The tm:rw Café, featuring food innovations from Solato, Schmackary’s and Sweetrobo; and
- 7EVN, a blend of technology and self-care products that reimagines wellbeing through rich sensory experiences.
A Store that Shows (not Tells) Customers How Tech can Enrich Their Lives
Nearly every product on display in the store is available for purchase, according to Traxler. And tm:rw is more than just a new store concept, it’s a rebranding — eventually, Smartech’s operations in Selfridges, KaDeWe and Rinascente also will bear the tm:rw name. There also are plans to expand the company’s footprint further in the U.S. and Europe, as well as Asia, in the coming years.
“We want every visitor that walks through our doors to feel inspired, leaving with a clear answer to the question: ‘How do the world’s most innovative products enrich my life?’” said Traxler. “tm:rw is not spectacle for spectacle’s sake; it’s a destination for meaning-making. By blending a carefully curated product roster with elevated customer service and brand treatments, we hope that every visit feels personal and inimitable.”
