Retail choice: 3 store

by Nigel Collett, Design director, RPA, Marketing 17-Nov-04

Let's face it, everybody is sick of mobile phones. We've all got one, yet the phone companies continue to unleash tidal waves of marketing.

The reality is that few of us understand the tariff we're on, have any special relationship with the brand, or use even half of the functions on our phones.

In this cluttered, noisy marketplace, where brands are constantly screaming for attention, it's genuinely refreshing to find a company that is successfully building a brand for itself not only through advertising, but via its high-street retail presence.

The 3 store in Oxford Street provides a great platform for raising awareness.

The flexible space it occupies can be changed on a monthly basis, providing a useful promotional vehicle. This is retail that can respond to other elements of the marketing mix: this week it's based on the TV ads - although there were no giant jellyfish or singing cherries in the store when I visited.

The flexibility of the format reminds me of the different phone fascias you can swap around to give your mobile a new look.

The whole store delivers a refreshing experience that differs from the other mobile operators and Carphone Warehouse in terms of its simplicity and clarity. It also provides a proper service environment, rather than the usual retail counter operation.

- Design agency Coutts Creative.