Sonos want to be in consumers' home, and if you’re not yet convinced it hopes its one-stop “retail, exhibition, screening and listening space,†aka its first concept store on European shores, will convince you.
Hot on the heels of the launch of the Alexa-powered Sonos One speaker, on 16th November, 2017 Sonos opened the doors to its new concept store in Seven Dials in London’s Covent Garden.
Inspired by Sonos’ flagship store in New York, the manufacturer’s space incorporates two acoustically-tuned listening rooms (overseen by Sonos’ own sound experience leader, Giles Martin), designed to recreate multi-home listening experience in the home. Here, guests are invited to stream their own music to one or both rooms to familiarise themselves with the Sonos system.
Sonos adds that the house-shaped rooms are more than just pretty spaces, with “custom-bevelled glass walls to reduce bounce” and design elements like hand-woven rugs (and even the bespoke bookshelves) have been carefully positioned to produce the optimum sound in the space.
The listening rooms will be open to artists to use from next year onwards, in addition to screenings, cultural talks and installations in the broader space.
Sonos says it saw sales double over Single’s Day in China and ahead of the retail extravaganza that is Black Friday, it has announced the biggest price drop on the PLAY: 1 ever (with a 25% reduction making the speaker £149, down from £199) if you don’t fancy telling Alexa to play Wham’s last Christmas next month (or whatever festive jam takes your fancy).
Word is another concept store in Berlin is also on the cards for 2018.