As the importance of experiential design in retail stores continues to grow, brands are making concerted efforts to create immersive environments in their stores. One such brand that recently made the switch was telecom retail giant The MobileStore.

They launched a first-of-its-kind MobileStore Lounge in High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel and Phoenix Market City, Kurla last week. A unique state-of-the-art experience, the store is pitted as a destination for smartphone buyers. It boasts of multi brand handsets, tablets, complimenting accessories and brand experience zones all in under one roof.

The company believes it can make technology less confusing and complicated by introducing a unique format that boasts of intelligent support staff and smart showcase of products.

A team of intensively training Tech Buddies has been handpicked from the company’s internal force as well as external sources. The Buddies are less sales staff and more technology enthusiasts. Extremely comfortable with the gadgets, they can conduct live experiences that bring alive the features of a smartphone.

As for smart product showcase, The MobileStore Lounge is the first ever store with complimenting accessories for each phone placed below the phone. The company wishes to ensure that a customer doesn’t really need to look around to find out what compliments his/her handset.

Commenting on the lounge format, Mr. Himanshu Chakrawarti, CEO - The MobileStore Limited said, ‘The MobileStore Lounge is a unique experience and moves beyond live display into the realm of actual larger than life experience. With technology elements, live features and very friendly & intensively trained Tech Buddies, the experience of the Lounge is aimed at making the consumer at ease with technology.’

Additionally, an excellent incentive to visit the store is the first ever phone OS-agnostic Data Transfer Dock facility that is provided absolutely free. A big worry when migrating to the new phone is loss of data, and the Dock comes as a huge sigh of relief.

However a couple of concerns do ring through. Can the Tech Buddies beat the mobile reviews that consumers read well before attending a store? Or can consumers still be enticed to visit retail outlets with e-commerce sites offering promotional offers every other day? But besides this, the Lounge is a good initiative by the company, one that sends out a message that Indian brands are very serious about designing lasting customer experiences, and that is a step in the positive direction.