Retail Therapy: Selfridge's Launches Daring New Retail Concept

"Every situation in life is an opportunity to train the mind in awareness and compassion, focus and empathy, calm and clarity. Headspace allows us to be awake to the opportunity."

Are you curious yet?

Better question: Are you a Brand Bitch?

If you are tied to your LV and Gucci logos, this isn't for you.

When Selfridges started operating in 1909, its founder Harry Gordon Selfridge created a Silence Room where shoppers can escape from the noise of the bargains and other shoppers.  This year, the store decided to revive this and extend that message. In an age where we are constantly bombarded with text messages, cell phone calls, facebook pings, twitter tweets, and email tings, this revival is not just quirky, it is downright necessary.

Watch this:

And this:

The Silence Room is a little like the Sound Room London had in Trafalgar Square last summer when I was there, except that instead of being wrapped in an interesting soundtrack, Selfridge's insulated the room to exclude all sound.

The revised version was designed by the acclaimed Alex Cochrane Architects and is more in line with New Age Zen philosophies that is currently trendy worldwide.

Some of the products that were de-branded, and yes there is fashion too

The thing I do particularly like about the campaign is the 'de-branding' aspect of it all. Sure, the guys at the store think that some products don't really need 'branding' since the products are iconic on their own and are instantly recognizable. Estee Lauder's Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer, Heinz ketchup, Beats Headphones, all have top of mind design that truly don't need any introduction. Indeed, the cheaper products are already sold out.

Even window displays and store bags are not spared

I like the thought behind this. It is a little like how Japanese brand Muji came about years ago. They wanted to remove identifiable logos and just produce high quality functional well designed products.  The irony is, their retail philosophy became a brand itself.

Were brand managers wary of de-branding?

The interesting thing is that the campaign has already drummed up a lot of publicity for its out of the box approach. If you have been to the major retail capitals of the world, you would have noticed that store windows for example are like the covers of magazines. The bigger, more colorful and animated they are, the more stores think customers will be drawn inside. This campaign has shown an alternative approach.

And it really does redefine the term: Retail Therapy.

Is it sustainable? Maybe not. People like their cell phones, their iPads and their brands. To some degree, we have all gotten used to the noise, both visual and aural, of brand marketing. BUY ME! I MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER!

Still, like a nice yoga sala, it is always good to have a spot you can run to when you do find that it is just too much.

Here's hoping retailers worldwide will pick up this message and create their own headspace.

PS, if anyone is willing to get me the all white BEATS headphones as a gift, I wouldn't turn it down! :-)

More information can be found here:

No Noise at Selfridge's