Categories: Service Retailers

Going Off Road

FOUND IN CRYSTAL Galleria in the Jing’an District of Shanghai, the region’s first global Jeep flagship center, dubbed Jeep Adventure, is steeped in the distinct principles and philosophy of the car brand.

Originally founded in 1943, acquired by Chrysler in 1987 and currently owned by Stellantis, Jeep (Toledo, Ohio) is a storied brand known primarily for its sports utility vehicles. For the company’s first foray into Shanghai, the design firm INGROUP (China) was entrusted with the space’s design and intended to break the mold of the traditional “4S” stores (car dealerships that are authorized by foreign and domestic carmakers in China).

Spanning roughly 12,917 square feet (1200 square meters), the store debuted in February 2023 on the ground floor of Crystal Galleria and utilizes floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views to engage passersby.

ABOVE: Woods and earth tones lend a welcoming feel and warmth to the space, allowing customers to comfortably browse. 📷 SFAP PHOTOGRAPHY

Shanghai’s strict requirements for storefronts in its downtown blocks and the structure’s acute angle contributed to the design team’s challenges. With time restrictions also playing a part, says Raven Wang, Creative Director, INGROUP, the team completed the project within the tight construction timeframe of 42 days.

Keeping with Jeep’s adventurous aesthetic, the designers intentionally created a connection between the company and shoppers to express “the brand genes of adventure through scenes and dynamic images of the natural environment, visually connecting the product display and the flow of people in the street to attract customers,” says Helki Lin, Design Director, INGROUP.

Its immersive interior is showcased through floor-to-ceiling, outward-facing windows; inside, digital screens present images of deserts, forests and snow-capped mountains, enhancing all-terrain features associated with exploration.

Raw, eco-friendly materials and natural textures are scattered throughout. “Stone powder and evergreen moss create mountain-like imagery dotted in the space; the digital display table adopts recycled old wooden doors to imitate a rustic stump,” says Wang.

Adding to the flagship’s unique materials, the tactile, mountainous terrain displays the vehicle options are perched upon were designed with specific “tilting” angles to represent Jeep’s off-road capabilities.

ABOVE: Casual seating aims to create a more relaxed purchasing experience.

A staircase behind a roundabout display stand leads to the store’s second floor; the space under this staircase was made into its own focal point housing soil, moss and plants, contrasting with the raw materials surrounding it.

“In the era of the rapid development of the Internet, a store is no longer a place simply for transactions, but a brand-displaying place with social interaction and communication functions that are unavailable online,” Lin says.