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Concept of Flagships

The aim of “Flagship Marketing: Concepts and Places” is to examine the concept of the retail flagship store as a site where the brand can be experienced in its greatest intensity. It surveys and defines the term “flagship” and its application as a showcase and communication medium. The thread between old and new, the familiar and the surprising have important implications for the design of store environments. The findings demonstrate how retail stores provide connections between the present and the past by reference to products, store design and architecture. They provide opportunities to demonstrate leadership with new designs, products and experiences. Interactivity with consumers is evident in the most successful environments, offering new experiences for sensory consumption.

Elements of this edited book and chapter appeared in earlier peer reviewed versions from 2006 with a ‘A Grand Day Out: Defining Flagship Concepts’ Symposium held at LCC (ISBN 187 0540 59 X ). A more focused paper on Regent St, London, ‘The Role Of Flagship Stores In Defining The Place’, was presented at the Contemporary Issues in Retail Marketing Conference, Manchester Metropolitan University, 2006 and the ‘The Role of the Flagship Store in Retail Branding’, was presented at the British Academy of Management Conference, Belfast, 2006. This paper received a prize for best paper in its Special Interest Group. Subsequent papers were presented as ‘The Flagship Store: An Assessment of Theory, Practice and Context’ at the European Association for Education and Research in Consumer Distribution Conference, University of Saarbrucken, 2007 and, on invitation by Fabbrica, Italy, ‘Flagship Stores ‘ at The Future of Retailing Symposium, Festival fur Kunst, Technologie und Gesellschaft, Ars Electronica, Linz, 2009. The book later informed ‘Heritage and innovation in luxury brands’ flagship stores’, presented at the International Federation of Fashion and Textiles’ Institutions’ conference, Paris, 2011.