Homegrown lifestyle store Naiise has built its success on being a champion for local design and emerging creators.
Their keen eye for curating novel and beautiful things has brought them from a simple online store, to a thriving physical chain that breathes new hope for Singapore’s retail scene.
And they’ve even made their mark in the world by bringing the concept to neighbouring Malaysia, and not-so-nearby London.
Even so, the launch of their latest Naiise Iconic store at Jewel Changi Airport easily tops those previous achievements.
Spanning almost 9,500 sq ft across its two-storey space, Naiise Iconic truly brings together local collaboration, retail technology, and unique experiences that customers can only get in-store.
Let’s take a look inside:
A community is stronger when it works together, and Naiise has tapped on a network of local architects, contractors, and design consultancies to create their most aesthetic store by far.
As representing Singapore is always important to them, the store welcomes guests with a feature entrance that’s lined with ‘merlion scales’, carved out of fallen rain trees by a local carpenter.
Sip A Cup Of Tea Roasted On The Spot
Besides its usual selection of fun and creative brands, what really sets Naiise Iconic apart from its previous stores are their ‘experience stations’.
The first of these is a tea bar run by homegrown tea marketplace Teapasar.
Teapasar doesn’t create its own teas, but instead functions as an aggregator platform for over 30 tea brands it carries.
Not only do they have 100 types of tea stocked at the tea bar, they also come pre-roasted, so they can be roasted on the spot to give you the freshest possible brew.
Customers can approach the friendly staff behind the bar to sample different types of teas.
Teapasar’s platform can also assess your preferred taste profiles and recommend the best matching tea blends, so customers get to discover new teas they may end up falling in love with.
Try New Food On Rotation At Naiise’s First Café
When we think of local brands, sometimes our minds can’t help but wander into the territory of food—Singaporeans live to eat, after all!
Bringing in F&B is a first for Naiise, and it opens them up to a whole new array of delicious (I mean, wonderful) homegrown brands to offer.
If you get tired from shopping, their “open-source’ communal pantry is the place to hit up for a quick bite or a refreshing cuppa.
As the pantry’s menu will be switched up every three months, it turns the spotlight on a variety of different F&B brands that are worth a taste.
Some of the homegrown brands you could come across at the pantry include Joe & Dough, Bettr Barista, superfood juice maker Doki Doki.
Udders was also there to introduce their month-old breakout line of lower-calorie ice cream, Nuude.
Print Your Name On A Customised Notebook
Stationery lovers who are already familiar with the beautiful labels Naiise holds will be thrilled when they walk into Ana Tomy.
Ana Tomy is a brand that specialises in customising notebooks, started by a group of Malaysian creators in 2016.
At this section of the store, customers can design their own planners, notebooks or sketchbooks.
Ana Tomy’s helpful staff will guide you through the process which starts from picking out a cover, followed by selecting a combination of papers, then choosing your binding rings and elastic bands.
Lastly, the most magical part of the experience is watching their craftsmen typeset the letters of your name, and hot stamp it onto the cover in gold or silver foil.
Skincare Mixed Just For You In A ‘Lab’
If you’re looking to explore local fashion and beauty brands, you’ll find them housed on the second floor, with a range that spans ladies’ and kids’ fashion, accessories, fragrances and grooming.
The personalisation experience continues here, with skincare label Alche{me}.
Their philosophy is to reduce wastage by producing “precise skincare solutions” that works best for each customer on demand.
For people who struggle to find products that work for their unique skin type, you can look for Alche{me}’s mini ‘lab’ and get a consultation to profile your skin and its specific needs.
From there, an expert will tell you which of their 25 active ingredients are most helpful to you, and mix your final product together.
Wrap Your Gifts With A Personal Touch
Gone are the days when you pick up a gift and the store can only package it in one type of (sometimes rather tacky-looking) wrapping paper.
Naiise Iconic’s gift bar is a fun way to make your presents more thoughtful, with a selection of wrapping papers designed by local creators, and other little bits of decoration you can add on.
It’s totally fine if you’re not blessed with amazing craft-making skills, as all you need to do is choose the embellishments while Naiise handles the gift-wrapping for you.
Some options you can choose include wax sealing, ribbons, or adding a personal touch with pom poms or a stalk of dried flowers tied in.
Let Emerging Creators Know What You Think Of Their Work
Further bolstering their support for local entrepreneurs, Naiise Iconic introduces their Launchpad, an area where a few brands can display their products and ideas to test customer demand and perception.
Through the Launchpad, Naiise aims to help founders validate their ideas before turning them into reality.
Anyone who visits the store can be a part of this validation process by learning about the projects and leaving their feedback.
As people answer a series of questions, the Launchpad app records and updates their responses in real-time and also lets them see what others have said.
Naiise is also employing technology to learn about the routes customers take, and where they’re spending the most time in-store.
Aurora sensors, developed by US firm RetailNext, are fitted all around the store to track customers’ journeys.
Together with their local data analytics partner, DDS, Naiise then analyses this information to learn which products and displays are most popular, and even keep track of whether customers have taken part in the Launchpad station too.
With all these thoughtful features and experiences to try out, every trip to the store seems special for each customer!
Naiise Iconic will be holding a 3-day public open house from 18 to 20 May 2019, and shoppers can look forward to exclusive discounts just for that weekend.
Naiise Iconic Singapore
78 Airport Boulevard, #02-205/206
Jewel Changi Airport
Singapore 819666
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Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post