The Store is an integral part of the visitor experience, it can be considered the ‘heart’ of the Storehouse, being both the first touchpoint as well as the culmination of the tour. Although already a highly productive retail space, it was felt it could be even more engaging, better integrated into the tour, and raise the retail offer to the next level. It needed to be reimagined, as immersive as the rest of the Storehouse, while still being an effective retail offer.

Positioned at the heart of the Storehouse, radiating out from where the Storehouse’s 9,000 year lease is positioned, The Store is now a 360° experience; impactful and unique. It is a key moment and marks the start and the completion of everyone’s Guinness Storehouse experience.

It has been redesigned and elevated to a destination in itself, aligning with the Guinness brand, and echoing the theatrical, playful and industrial atmosphere of the rest of the Storehouse. As the first and last chapter of the brewery experience, The Store is inspired by the concept vision ‘A Moment In Time’, focused on making the occasion memorable for all visitors at the start and end of their journey, and celebrating iconic moments throughout the history of the brand. It has been designed to encourage visitors to discover, shop and explore at their own pace.

At the front of the space is The Market, an area providing convenient access to bestselling and promotional products for hassle-free souvenir shopping. Radiating out from the lease at the heart of the store, super-scale curated VM displays imagined as Iconic Chapters celebrate some of the brand’s key moments and allow customers to shop by story.

A dynamic backdrop is provided by two digital ‘curtains’ that wrap around the space, echoing the circular atrium. Made up of over 1,200 acrylic rods, the eye-catching ‘curtains’ provide a dynamic and evolving canvas that engage customers and allow the brand to tell their story. Based on The Store’s concept vision, ‘A Moment In Time’, Dalziel & Pow created content for the curtains, taking visitors on a journey through the brand’s history. Key moments are highlighted - from the historic 9,000 year-old lease, through to iconic adverts and the quintessential Guinness toucans - merging a timeline of Guinness’ exports around the globe with key facts to create an immersive and expressive experience.

The mezzanine floor has been transformed into an experiential hub, with super-scale signage visible from below to draw customers upstairs. Personalisation is a key focus of the new concept. A customisable glass engraving service allows visitors to make the experience their own. They can pick up their personalised glasses from interactive lockers at the end of their visit. The Larder showcases Guinness food pairings, with chalkboard walls used to display changing recipes. Animated projections onto walls and glasses bring the space to life and add a layer of interactivity.

The redesign of The Store responds to Guinness’ bold visual brand identity and experimentation with colour, resulting in a retail experience with an infectious atmosphere. Through visual theatre, storytelling, and experiential moments, the new retail experience invites visitors to further discover the brand, its stories, and an imaginative, changing collection of exclusive products. A new world-class retail experience at the heart of the Storehouse.