Etisalat, one of the mega telecom companies in Egypt, and the region, was seeking a new concept for their retail stores in Egypt. They approached Show Shop Solutions, for developing the new design, dubbed the “WOW Concept”, and I was tasked with creating the new concept and it’s first architectural implementation, the Flagship store in Cairo Festival City Mall.

The new store design seeks to express Etisalat’s image, as a niche and tech oriented brand, by offering its customers an interactive, fun & contemporary retail experience.

“The future of retail is all about personalized service and education.”

The new concept seeks to connect people’s lives to Etisalat, by engaging the customers with the staff, products and services, turning the store experience into a learning and fun encounter.

I’ve tried to make use of retail best practices and new store architecture, customer-focused interactivity, engaging product experiences and the new approaches to delivering in-branch services. And by losing a lot of the old stores clutter and over branding, I was able to reach a simpler and more efficient, yet more appealing and engaging retail format.

One of the main concerns was to uplift the store environment, combining Wood, with contemporary materials and large interactive screens, to create a fresh, responsive and engaging experience for Etisalat customers.

Featuring an inviting, wide-open façade that draws customers over the threshold, into a café-style area with comfortable seating and a long tables kitted out with live devices loaded with interactive content, keeps customers entertained and engaged while they wait.

Services are delivered more efficiently and personally, via one-on-one compact desks, clearly visible from the exterior, allowing staff to diagnose needs and direct customers to different zones depending on their reason for visiting, streamlining their journey and reducing dwell time.

Express consultation areas and self-service points enable staff and customers to quickly and effectively deal with shorter queries, whilst screened service points allow private, longer consultations if needed.

Project name: Etisalat New Concept Flagship Store
Location: Cairo Festival City Mall
Status: Completed in 2015
Project Area: 240 m²
Contractor: Show Shop Solutions
Consultant: Serry Design
Photography by: Abdelrahman Elwassimy