Benetton: numerous new openings in the East

20 Sep '10

6 min read

In Bratsk, a central Siberian city on the banks of the river Angara, a new United Colors of Benetton store has opened, featuring the Woman, Man and Kids collections. The restoration of the building's facade went hand-in-hand with the design of the interior, some 900 m², characterized by commercial modernity and an elegant, welcoming atmosphere.

In Khabarovsk, second city of the Russian far east, Benetton chose an historic building on Muraviova Amurskogo, one of the city's main shopping streets. Work began with a careful restoration of the original features, and especially of the protected historic facade, essential in order to highlight the elegance of the spaces and thereby fully emphasize the characteristics and complexity of the various brands. Inside, with over 2,000 m² of shop space, two stores were installed, one United Colors of Benetton, the other Sisley, with separate entrances. The ground floor houses both the UCB collections Woman, Man, Kids, Undercolors and Accessories, and Sisley's chic and ultra-contemporary proposals.

In Mongolia the double opening in the shopping area of the capital Ulaanbaatar marks Benetton's official entry into this market. The two inaugurations involve a large United Colors of Benetton store, on one of the main shopping streets, and a Sisley store, opened in the Bishrelt shopping centre on Sambuu Street.

The new UCB store, more than 800 m² over three floors, is housed in the centre of Ulaanbaatar in a Benetton building designed by architects Arassociati of Milan, with a rational, modern conception of its spaces that recalls Mongolian history and culture. Like the “gher”, the traditional nomadic house that adapts to the immensity of the steppe, signalling its presence in the night, the new Benetton retail space stands out for its simplicity amidst the city's chaotic urbanisation, offering an image of lightness and brightness.

The Benetton Woman and Man collections are to be found on the ground and lower ground floors respectively; the first floor is dedicated entirely to Kids. The sales space features a range of warm grey tones that bring out the various themes and colours of the autumn-winter 2010 collections. The new Sisley store, situated on the first floor of the Bishrelt Shopping Center on Sambuu Street, presents all the glamour of the Woman and Man collections of the most daring brand in the Benetton Group.

In Azerbaijan, where it already has ten or so retail spaces, Benetton is opening a new store in the capital Baku, devoted entirely to the children's collections: Baby, for ages 0-5, and Kid, for 6 to 12-year-olds. In the area for older children, the grey walls with a rack design feature, are interspersed with large white frames and pigeonholes. In the baby area, the colours used are warm and welcoming, and the setting calls to mind the features of a newborn's nursery.

This programme of new openings in Russia, Mongolia and Azerbaijan reaffirmsthe Group's capacity to grow around the world, strengthening the constant thread running through Benetton that binds global to local, the future to the past, and innovation to tradition.

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