The concept bears a certain similarity to Apple’s retail presence but O2 has introduced a more relaxed note with lounge areas offering hot drinks, magazines to browse and wireless mobile charging stations.
Staff selection and training was particularly focused on delivering a "stand-out customer experience", according to O2 head of stores Bridget Lea.
The stores, based in London’s Westfield White City and Manchester’s Market Street, also have themed interactive takeovers that change each month. In January, both stores featured a fitness takeover, showcasing the latest wearable technology and fitness trackers via playful, competitive challenges.
Both stores cover more than 2,300 square feet of space and were developed and designed in partnership with design agency Dalziel & Pow.
Simon Parkes, design director at Dalziel & Pow, said: "Relaxed, agile and social, the concept store breaks away from what a traditional mobile phone shop looks like, through a new approach that shows O2’s commitment to customer-focused experiential retail."
