Fashion label Esprit has unveiled a new concept store in Beijing as it continues its long journey of reinvention. 

“Our new store in Beijing is a showcase for the Esprit brand,” said Esprit Group CEO Anders Kristiansen. “With surprising and functional design details, and bright and social spaces, we think this is a great expression of the spirit of Esprit.”

Hong Kong-listed Esprit sees China as a key market in its bid to resurrect its brand reputation, sales and profitability: it wants to open 220 stores on the mainland by 2023 and as many as 80 elsewhere in Asia. 

The most remarkable feature of the Beijing store which opened last week is the huge prominent opaque brand name across the store’s glass street frontage. Inside the design has been described as a blend of “California cool”, bold graphics and bright colours. The store was designed by Ettore Sottsass. 

A strategic change to the store layout is the relocation of the cashier’s counter into the middle of the store, a move aimed at optimising the interaction between store staff and customers. 

“This forms a social hub that invites customers to stay, converse and relax and further experience the Esprit brand,” said a spokesperson.

Across the whole store, the space is clean and uncluttered, putting the focus back on the product. 

“Open areas encourage exploration and give space to create stories around the collections,” the spokesperson said.

While features of the store are likely to be rolled out across Esprit’s global markets, for now the company wants to assess the impact on sales and customer engagement to refine the model.