It’s very obvious from the moment you walk into Modern Home that you are entering the lap of luxury. For those looking for bargain basement, turn right around and do not pass “go”.
The whole essence of Modern Home revolves around the single
big idea of INDULGE. Even as you drive up to the store façade, you will quickly notice their current promotion offering a Porsche Cayenne (what else?), aligning themselves with the premier luxury brand in the hot SUV car sector - another reflection of the potential experience you are about to enter.
It starts with “hello.”
As we went in the entrance (no, that’s the exit, go round to the “other’ entrance!), you are greeted with a heady perfume and gracious, meticulously uniformed saleswomen to offer us their assistance in line with their brand promise of INDULGE - present
in their service. So once we managed to get past the latest sample tester of men or women’s fragrance without a hint of lavender or hyacinth being sprayed on us, we awaited the next revelation.
Luxurious labyrinth
As we move through the store, we noticed that the layout is well-lit, curvaceous and organic—with little oases of brands.
The interior feels dated, although we are reliably informed that,
as part of the evolution of the brand, extensive (and expensive!) renovation and refurbishment is in process for the interior.
Product displays
Modern Home gets kudos for making a conscious effort to feature the most current products that would be of interest to the customer. Discreet yet elegant, pleasantly luscious, friendly and inviting. The brand promise is supported with classic minimalistic displays which makes us eager for the results of the renovation—to see what the next level of indulgence is in terms
of the customer journey.
Welcome to the 22nd century
It is apparent that Modern Home knows that the difference between the men and the boys is the price of their toys judging by the wide selection of leading-edge electronic gadgetry and gizmo’s - from high-definition TV, audio equipment and even a whole room dedicated to Sony Playstation. This whole section is designed to indulge the senses as you sit in a comfortable sofa and blow your mind with sound and images, or get your thumbs frantically active as you kill yet another ‘Skitchzoid’ from Planet XY3G.
The café. Juices for spruices
We couldn’t resist stopping by the café and juicing up with an avocado press and a carrot something. ‘Deelicious’. And as we scrutinised the watches and jewellery magazines while slurping on our fresh victuals, we couldn’t help wondering how the café would be improved to better reflect the brand and so the customer experience. Maybe a minimalist approach with a wide selection of hot and cold green teas. Or a sushi bar, or what about a real juice health bar, with growing wheatgrass, freshly cut, and organic veggies for juicing. This could be really something, we mused, only to be reliably informed that the café would not be featuring in the new layout. A pity! we thought. It could have been the ultimate expression of sensory branding – sight, sound, smell and taste all perfectly balanced to allow one to truly indulge.
Time is money
We loved going by the store within a store and checking out the main brand that Modern Home is in alliance with. I liked the ‘discrete’ atmosphere, where knowledgeable salespeople tout the latest in wrist candy for the price of a car. Serious buyers only. Whiffs of Bond Street for the jewellery shops.
We met the Store Manager. Below a few of his pearls of wisdom on the future of branding and the retail environment:
On competition:
“We do not feel that we are in competition with anybody. We feel that every company in our sector is contributing to fuel the luxury market in Qatar.”
On products:
“We will be putting more focus on I.T. and Digital Electronic products in the future.”
On the future:
We were told that there are moves afoot to research the feasibility of a 55,000 sq metre shopping mall in which to have the flagship Modern Home store. Impressive!
In conclusion. It’s all there. Obvious who they are aiming at in terms of well-heeled and brand-conscious clientèle and very aware of what needs to be done to truly express what branding and the retail environment has become.
An extension of who we are and who we want to be – meeting our aspirations and desires as expressed through courteous and knowledgeable service in an ambience that is (soon) to reflect the fact that you have arrived and now you just need the world to know about it, so why not indulge a bit, or a lot! You deserve it!. And while you gift wrap my Brioni suitcase, Dormeuil and Versace suit and Rolex timepiece, I’ll have another avocado juice.
Oh and I’ll have my usual VIP discount please!
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