In autumn 2017 Vitra is opening two pop-up stores in the cities of Zurich and Amsterdam. The temporary shops are dedicated to the Eames Plastic Chair by Charles and Ray Eames. Visitors can discover the great versatility of this design classic and configure their own personal chair. The Swiss furniture manufacturer is adopting a hybrid retail approach that augments the stationary shopping experience with digital components and thus unites the advantages of on- and offline commerce.

Over a period of three months, visitors to the Vitra Pop-Up Stores are invited to explore the wide array of bases, shell colours and upholstery versions available for the Eames Plastic Chair. Freely combining the various options, they can then order their own personal model.

A shopfitting system especially designed for this project presents the 14 different Armchair and Side Chair shells along with a selection of upholstery options and the available bases. Visitors are encouraged to mix and match the various components to find their favourite personal configuration: all the shells can be removed from the shopfitting system and paired with different bases. Fabric samples make it easier to choose an upholstery colour. The customer experiences the world of the Eames Plastic Chair first-hand and benefits from the advice of sales personnel in the physical store. The store’s product assortment is complemented with items from the Vitra Accessories Collection.

Vitra supplements the analogue presentation in the store with digital elements. Customers can utilise the Eames Plastic Chair configurator on a large touchscreen. The digital tool connected with the brand’s online shop and used to place orders in the pop-up store. The Swiss furniture manufacturer gives customers the added-value benefit of both channels: physical displays offer inspiration while digital ordering provides access to more than 100,000 product configuration options. Orders are subsequently delivered to the customer’s home address – within 48 hours for a large number of models.

General information

Zurich location: Vitra Pop-Up Store Poststrasse 5-7 8001 Zurich

Opening hours:
13 October 2017 – 27 January 2018 Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Amsterdam location: Vitra Pop-Up Store Reestraat 14
1016 DN Amsterdam

Opening hours:
3 November 2017 – 27 January 2018
Monday: closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Thursday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: noon – 6 p.m.