Maserati Goes Full-throttle With New Milan Store
Maserati, legendary Italian purveyor of fine luxury automobiles, is completely revamping its customer experience with a bold new retail concept. Expect a dynamic, multi-sensory immersive environment showcasing the very best of what the House of the Trident has to offer. Italy’s world-renowned quality craftsmanship and decadent hospitality are put on full display - we’re talking “configuration bar” central island offering wines, juices, or Italian-style espresso as soon as you walk in.
Located in Milan’s historic and stylish Magenta district, the new space brings to life Maserati’s unique new “Sartoria/Officina” (Italian for tailor shop/workshop) environment. Perfectly balancing the raw and powerful technical complexity of automotive engineering with the delicate and sophisticated touch of luxury craftsmanship, the concept has bespoke design at its core. From the outside, viewers’ attention is instantly captured thanks to the window display featuring a single, show-stopping “Hero” vehicle placed onto a dramatically lit LED wall. Inside, displays by Cassina Custom Interiors and loose furniture are used in combination with a palette of warm, earthy colors which evoke the rich hues of old towns in the Italian countryside. Customers will also be treated to Maserati’s new “Fuoriserie” in-depth vehicle customization program, creating the car of their dreams like an art collector shopping directly from inside the museum. Wheel caps and steering wheels are exhibited like jewelry behind sliding glass panels, while the cars themselves are given the diva treatment - as they should - taking center stage under dramatic spotlights, like sculptures in a darkened gallery.
NYC-based experience design firm Eight Inc., whose extensive portfolio includes work for major brands such as Apple and Virgin Atlantic, was chosen by Maserati to help bring the immersive environment to life. “We realized quickly that Maserati is a small, tight-knit community of passionate people”, Eight Inc. design director Markus Nonn states. You might question why a brand would dedicate so much effort to a new physical retail experience when customers are increasingly shifting to online platforms. However, since emerging from the pandemic, customers have not abandoned physical retail, unlike many forecasters had expected. Nonn shares that the future of retail depends on a brand’s ability to use its physical retail presence in a flexible and meaningful way. “For too long retail channels have been looked at separately, when they should be more integrated and deployed to work harmoniously together”, he says, adding that “the new Maserati experience is a case in point: rather than a pure sales environment its aim is to create a tangible brand experience with an emphasis on lifestyle and hospitality”.
Following the grand opening in Milan, the House of the Trident will roll out its new retail experience across its existing portfolio of stores around the world. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Melbourne, Madrid, and Berlin will get the makeover by the end of the year, and many more locations, including Los Angeles, Toronto, London, and Tokyo will follow in 2023.
Get ready for the big launch by finding a Maserati dealership near you.
