Kapten & Son relies on Magic Mirrors
© Kapten & Son Store Cologne
Tennagels realised a Magic Mirror concept for the new Kapten & Son stores. The interactive installation is part of the up-and-coming Cologne-based label’s retail experience concept, which has now been rolled out in three German cities.
The Cologne-based backpack brand Kapten & Son has been flying high internationally for several years now. In its home market of Germany, the label invested in a new retail concept in 2024. The first branch of the ‘Experience Stores’ opened in Cologne in October, followed by two more in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt this month. In all three, digital signage integrator Tennagels installed a Magic Mirror, which reverses the perspective with a simple camera trick.
The display disguised as a mirror can be activated by touch. A camera opposite the display films the viewer from behind and transmits the image to the display. The view into the Magic Mirror then shows the customer how the rucksack looks on them.
Interactive - digital and analogue
The Magic Mirror is one of several interactive areas that give the stores their experience factor. At a packing table, customers can fill their favourite backpack with various dummy products such as laptops or water bottles to make sure they choose the right size. With the Size Check feature, suitcases can be tested for hand luggage suitability.
Otherwise, the stores appear to rely on few digital features. The focus is on wooden elements, minimalist product displays and the brand’s characteristic green colour. The suitcase department was designed to look like the interior of an aeroplane. According to Textilwirtschaft, Kapten and Son worked with Schwitzke & Partner on the design, while Kölling Project was responsible for the realisation.
Kapten & Son now operates ten stores in Germany, with another to be added with the opening of the Westfield Mall in Hamburg in April. Other shops are located in Amsterdam, Cape Town and Vienna.