{"id":15724,"date":"2025-08-08T06:52:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T06:52:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/tmrw-aims-to-fix-the-broken-tech-retail-experience-with-new-sensorial-store\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T06:52:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T06:52:27","slug":"tmrw-aims-to-fix-the-broken-tech-retail-experience-with-new-sensorial-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/tmrw-aims-to-fix-the-broken-tech-retail-experience-with-new-sensorial-store\/","title":{"rendered":"tm:rw Aims to Fix the Broken Tech Retail Experience with New \u2018Sensorial\u2019 Store"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Even as tech has steadily become integrated into every aspect of our lives, doing things that were barely imaginable just a few decades ago, one element of the tech landscape has been slow to evolve \u2014 the retail experience. With the exception perhaps of the Apple Store<\/strong>, which debuted more than 20<\/strong> years ago, the spaces where today\u2019s cutting-edge technologies are displayed and sold can still feel disconcertingly traditional and unimaginative \u2014 certainly not on par with the innovation of the products they showcase.<\/p>\n

Nathalie Bernce and Jacov Nachtailer set out to change that with Smartech Retail<\/strong>, a series of experiential in-store concessions in some of the biggest department stores around the world, including Selfridges <\/strong>in London, KaDeWe<\/strong> in Berlin and Rinascente<\/strong> in Rome. Now they are bringing the experience to America with their first standalone store, tm:rw<\/strong>, which opened its doors on July 29 in New York City\u2019s Times Square. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Creating a \u2018Sensorial Playground\u2019 to Try Out New Tech<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cThe acceleration of ecommerce has led to a consolidation of retailers that emphasize sales volume over client experience, leaving brands with very few opportunities to showcase their innovative products in the dynamic environments they require,\u201d explained Jordan Traxler, Global Head of Marketing for tm:rw, in an interview with Retail TouchPoints<\/em>. \u201cBernce and Nachtailer launched tm:rw in clever recognition of this gap, a sensorial playground that blends state-of-the-art technology with interactive product experiences <\/strong>to solve consumers\u2019 growing frustrations with the look-but-don\u2019t-touch formulas of big-box giants and ecommerce<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps no category needs this kind of hands-on approach more than technology. When simply displayed or described, new innovations like virtual reality or tech-enhanced performance products can fail to resonate. At tm:rw, not only can you touch and try these products, but you\u2019re encouraged to.<\/p>\n

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Image courtesy tm:rw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The new 20,000-square-foot<\/strong> tm:rw flagship, located in the historic Candler Building, aims to offer a dynamic show space that enables sensorial product interactions, allowing shoppers to truly experience and discover emerging tech products across gaming, wellness, food, beauty and sports<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The space was designed by Harry Nuriev, Founder and Creative Director of Crosby Studios, who has created a store that Traxler described as \u201carchitecturally playful, future-forward and intentional at every turn<\/strong>, right down to atmospheric lighting and tactile details.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the choice of Times Square for the company\u2019s U.S. debut, Traxler pointed to the neighborhood\u2019s legacy as \u201cthe epicenter of commerce and culture in New York,\u201d adding that the area\u2019s \u201cengaged, global foot traffic makes it the perfect stage and platform for showcasing the world\u2019s most exciting innovations.\u201d With its debut, tm:rw hopes to join the renaissance of this neighborhood, \u201creinvigorating Times Square as a destination for the fantastic<\/strong>,\u201d Traxler said.<\/p>\n

More Than 140 Tech Brands on Display (and Ready to Play)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Image courtesy tm:rw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

At its debut, tm:rw features more than 140<\/strong> brands, from startups to well-known names, with new brands joining the mix regularly. For example, the 517-square-foot<\/strong> \u201cCorner Shop\u201d area will serve as a showcase for newer brands, with new products rotating every four to six<\/strong> weeks. To kick things off, the Corner Shop is featuring wearable health and fitness trackers from Whoop<\/strong>, and that will be followed by next-generation chargers from Anker<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe built tm:rw with our brand partners at the heart of everything,\u201d said Traxler. \u201cThis space exists to support them, celebrate their innovations and treat their products with the care and respect they deserve. We always say, \u2018tm:rw is your store.\u2019 They\u2019re free to experiment, explore and push boundaries \u2014 within the framework of our shared design language.<\/strong> We\u2019re not here to dictate; we\u2019re here to guide, like a creative partner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Traxler declined to share what, if any, financial participation is involved on the part of the brands in exchange for placement in the store; however, this kind of tech showcase concept is not completely new to the retail landscape.<\/p>\n

Retail innovator Vibhu Norby first introduced his retail-as-a-service model with a tech test-and-try concept b8ta<\/strong>, similar philosophically to tm:rw, in 2017. When that didn\u2019t take, he shifted the model to the web3-focused Solana Spaces<\/strong> concept, also intended to give consumers the opportunity to touch and feel some of the nebulous new technologies of the internet. Neither concept ever really took off, but in both cases, brands paid to be featured in the stores.<\/p>\n

Creating Spaces for Interactive Brand Storytelling<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Image courtesy tm:rw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Regardless of tm:rw\u2019s financial model, these previous concepts attempted to tackle the same problem as the new store \u2014 giving consumers the chance to truly experience ingenious, but often unfamiliar and therefore somewhat intimidating, new technologies. However, tm:rw does seem to be doing so in an even more expansive and immersive way.<\/p>\n

\u201ctm:rw is a space where innovation enhances \u2014 not replaces \u2014 the human experience,\u201d explained Traxler. \u201cAs a hub for out-of-the-box thinkers, disruptors and creators, our experiential model sets the scene for fresh new ideas by centering discovery and play. Each brand activation is not a simple stock display but a moment of distinctive, interactive storytelling<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Sanctuary at tm:rw in Times Square (Image courtesy tm:rw)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Among the brands and experiences featured at the store\u2019s debut are:<\/p>\n