Maserati is pleased to unveil its new global retail store concept, debuting with the opening of a new space in the heart of Milan’s historic and elegant Magenta district. Intended to express the Italian House’s power and prowess in Italian luxury craftsmanship, the innovative retail concept combines the refinement of a sartoria – a tailor’s atelier – with the rawness of an officina – a workshop, allowing clients can unleash their creative passion to bring to life their own bespoke vision of the ultimate luxury sports car.
The pioneering new architectural concept was co-created together with the New York-based experience design firm Eight Inc. and marks a departure from the traditional aesthetics of the “bright and sterile” car showroom. The inviting new environment, imbued with Italian beauty, presents the cars dramatically spot-lit like dynamic sculptures in a darkened art gallery.
“From the early stages of developing a new car to the complete luxury retail experience, everything at Maserati is designed with the client in mind. Our new store concept embodies our values of passion, innovation and beauty through the lens of Italian luxury. Our wish here is for clients to express their passion by creating their very own Maserati”, says Davide Grasso, CEO of Maserati.
Outside the store, visitors’ attention is captured by a show-stopping window installation with a single “hero” vehicle set in front of a theatrical backdrop of an LED wall. Inside, guests are greeted in a contemporary living space that features a large ‘kitchen island’ serving as a hospitality and configuration counter, complete with a bar offering Italian-style espresso, wines or cold-pressed juices.
A palette of earthy colours, evoking old towns in the Italian countryside, is used throughout the interior of the space and is further highlighted by the contemporary loose furniture and displays developed by Cassina Custom Interiors. Softly lit wall displays feature sliding glass panels, revealing wheel caps and steering wheels exhibited like jewellery, as well as a selection of the softest hand-crafted leather samples.
"When considering a new design project, we imagine an experience that defines a human process, and how that experience can shape what inspires and influences us. The new Maserati store is as a bridge between the House of the Trident and its passionate clients, designed to provide a multi-sensory luxury retail experience with a contemporary design language, true to the essence of the brand”, says Tim Kobe, CEO of Eight Inc.
Clients are encouraged to discover the retail store on their own terms, by experiencing the cutting-edge MXE 3D digital configurator on a large-screen in a private consultation room or by feeling the thrill of the ‘launch-pad’, in an immersive experience that celebrates the memorable moments of test driving and vehicle handover, culminating with a dramatic reveal of the Maserati car captured on camera for customers to share with their family and friends.
The ultimate Maserati experience available at the new store concept is known as ‘Fuoriserie’, the Trident’s customisation programme, which allows clients to express their personality and creativity to design one-of-a-kind vehicles. They can start from a blank slate and include a wide range of personalisation features, from bold exterior colours and patterns to the subtle details in the multi-coloured stitching of the interior leather upholstery.
The new store concept is one layer of the larger Maserati OTO retail experience (‘OTO’ stands for “online to offline”, and vice versa), which envisions an innovative customer journey developed in close partnership with all dealerships. The online and off retail experiences are seamlessly integrated with a series of digital touch points, including “My Maserati Showroom” reservations online portal – debuted in North America – where clients can configure and book their car from the comfort of their home, later completing the purchase at their preferred Trident showroom. Other innovative digital services, currently available in Italy and North America, are “My Maserati Expert”, which allows clients to request information online, the “Remote test drive”, enabling clients to book and test their car 24/7 at a showroom or at their home, as well as the “Multi-channel service booking”, which allows booking the service appointment easily online.
Following the world premiere in Milan, Maserati will deploy its retail concept in its stores in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Melbourne, Madrid and Berlin by the end of 2022, with many more locations across the world to come in 2023, including Los Angeles, Toronto, London and Tokyo.
