Telecom operator Orange has opened a Brussels flagship store according to a new store concept, that should boost the newcomer’s brand awareness in Belgium. The store in Brussels’ most fancy shopping street also wants to strengthen the relationship with the customers.
Premium location
At 150 sqm in size, the ‘Orange Smart Store’ of the latest generation wants to give its customers an unparalleled experience with a separate room for private lessons, seminars on mobile security, programming lessons for children and the like. The store itself is divided in thematic zones: On the Go, Home, Fun and Work. A showcase features the most recent innovations and of course, customers can get assistance for the purchase of a new phone or subscription. An Orange Business Centre is aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses.
“With 18,000 people per day passing, this really is a prime location”, says Chief Consumer Officer Cristina Zanchi, who also reveals that her company hopes to open more of such stores in Belgium’s other main cities. “We want to boost our brand awareness. As relative newcomers in Belgium, we have strong competitors and we need to keep feeding our brand.” The store opening is therefore also combined with the launch of a new campaign, #UnlimitedBrussels.
“While many retailers are closing physical stores because of the growth of e-commerce, we think it is important to be really present in the real world and show our complete product range. A subscription is easy to buy online, but when it comes to buying an expensive smartphone or to transferring their data, customers prefer coming to a physical store. Moreover, Belgians are rather reluctant when it comes to mobile payments”, Zanchi says. Orange has 137 stores in Belgium, 10 of which are Smart Stores.
