Burberry has opened its first social retail store in China’s technology hub Shenzhen, blending the physical and social worlds in a digitally-immersive experience.

Powered by Tencent technology, the store - which will opens in the new Shenzhen Bay MixC development today - is a space designed to inspire and entertain luxury customers, letting them interact with the Burberry brand and product in new ways.

The concept, which is the first step in an exclusive partnership with Tencent, takes interactions from social media and brings them into a physical retail environment. Through a dedicated WeChat mini program, customers can unlock exclusive content and personalised experiences and share them with their communities.

Via WeChat, customers can access features such as store tours and learn about products. It also provides a platform for dedicated client services, in-store appointment bookings, events and table reservations in Thomas’s Cafe, the new in-store café and community space.

The more the customer engages with Burberry, the richer their experience becomes. Within the mini program, customers can earn rewards through the Burberry social currency feature, unlocking exclusive content. Each customer is given an animal character that evolves as they engage in-store and social, with new characters and outfits to discover. Rewards range from exclusive café menu items to mini program content.

The 539 square metre store features 10 rooms, filled with interactive windows, concept fitting rooms and QR code activated content.

“Burberry has always been a brand of firsts, built on a belief that creativity has the power to open spaces,” said Marco Gobbetti, chief executive at Burberry. “When it came to innovating around social and retail, China was the obvious place to go as home to some of the most digitally savvy luxury customers.

“Together with Tencent, we have pioneered a new concept that will redefine expectations of luxury retail – it marks a shift in how we engage with our customers and we can’t wait to share this innovative experience with the world.”

Tencent president Martin Lau added: “Through the partnership with Burberry, we hope to provide our contribution in the upgrading of luxury retail, improving the quality of people’s lives, and promoting sustainable development, through which we hope to ultimately support maximizing the social value."

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