Presented by xydrobe
To mark 175 years of the iconic department store, Harrods has collaborated with Vacheron Constantin as the inaugural brand to exhibit in their multisensory VR experience, presented by xydrobe.
Keen to learn about the latest technology shaping the industry, members of The Retail Hive made their way to Harrods to explore the department store’s new and immersive installation.
Venturing from the depths of Harrods’ vaults to a nebular-filled galaxy and future desert scape, our Senior Community Manager, Rose Crowhurst retells her experience, highlighting how VR technology can expand the horizons of customer experience…
“Xydrobe was advertised as an ‘immersive virtual-reality journey that transports guests across Harrods through the lens of Vacheron Constantin—brought to life by 4D storytelling technology’. Guests are invited to explore the history and secrets of the 200-year-old luxury Swiss watch brand via a short, multisensory VR viewing that includes elements of scent, sound, air, and temperature. Always ready to step into the future of retail and explore the latest technology changing our industry, The Retail Hive team of course journeyed to Knightsbridge to check it out for ourselves.
On arrival, we travelled up the historic Egyptian escalator to the fifth floor. We entered a space tucked away in one of the store’s hidden corners, usually strictly reserved for Harrods’ Green Men. We were initially checked into a private guided tour of some of Vacheron Constantin’s most exclusive timepieces before entering the xydrobe space…
Our expert tour guide directed us to several well-known pieces, each representing key moments of the brand’s legacy and innovation. From the striking minimalism of the Patrimony timepieces to the extravagant luxury of a one-of-a-kind collector’s piece valued at £1.2 million, our guide skilfully lifted the lid on the illustrious past and exciting future of this historic brand.
Then it was time to embark on our VR journey. We entered a sleek, midnight-black cylinder with comfy leather seats and headsets to each side. Once prepared, we settled into a 10-minute experience where the truly head-spinning graphics lifted us above the everyday hustle and bustle of London life to the depths of Harrods’ vaults, through a nebular-filled galaxy to a future desert scape. Each moment of storytelling reinforced the close links between Harrods and Vacheron Constantin’s brands and the VR technology, mirroring our own bodies’ movements and placing us firmly as the protagonists in the centre of our own voyage…
As we returned slowly to real life, we were invited downstairs to view the larger Vacheron Constantin collection and potentially make an all-important purchase. Our only suggestion for improvement would be to amp up the scent and wind elements as these could have been highly complementary, but were not as intense as needed.
Overall, we left the experience truly impressed, buzzing with ideas of how VR technology could be used to expand the horizons of customer experience. From a walkthrough of a store on another continent to an immersive fan experience or a front-row seat at a luxury fashion show, the xydrobe installation has countless applications to wow the coming generations of Harrods’ customers.”
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