Portugal in Fashion’s capital
A new space, entirely devoted to the Lusitanian culture in Paris, has opened its doors. eNeNe, in Le Marais quarter, 24 rue du Temple, is a store meant to give visibility to the best that is made in Portugal, in areas such as decoration, fashion, gourmet, jewellery, shoemaking and new technology. The store retrieves the name given to the new navigators, “eNeNe”, during the Age of Discovery, a suggestion of the Ivity Corporation team of Carlos Coelho and Paulo Rocha…
Carlos Sereno is a 45-year old architect, Portuguese-descendant, and Luís Filipe Neto is a 38-year old international visual merchandiser, a Portuguese who has been living years in Paris for several years. Both have a passion for Portugal and acknowledge the national talent in fields such as design and gastronomy. The creation of this space derives from “the evidence to implement a location in Paris, which is meant to represent the best of what the country has to give and display. Portugal represents the savoir-faire and the ancestral traditions.
Nowadays, the country’s technologic power allows Portugal to position itself on the world stage, as it deserves”, explains Carlos Sereno to Umbigo magazine. The mishmash of two cultures gives to these two entrepreneurs the motto for an initiative that already deserved to exist. Aware that the Portuguese quality still has a path to travel in order to internationally assert itself, particularly in the luxury segment, given that “even though local factories invest in technology, have a high quality manufacturing process and maintain the respect for the environment, the Portuguese luxury brands cannot have their own plateau on the world market and prefer to sell on behalf of other international brands,” adds Luís Filipe Neto.
But eNeNe will not be a banal selling space and will have a technological innovation to ensure a brand-new experience to all customers, based on an innovative digital path. In other words, a mobile application was created, dedicated to the customer’s path and experience in the store, reducing the interactions as much as possible until the moment of purchase comes. The prices are not visible, only labels with the brand name and a QRCode with a certain colour, which can be scanned directly using the application. The colours of the labels define the price range (less than 50€; from 50 to 100€; 100 to 250€; 250€ to 500€; 500€ and more). The QRCode allows access to all the product-related information, its price, technical characteristics, the materials used, its creator, among other details. Once the product is scanned and the information disclosed, the customer can add it to their digital shopping cart and continue their journey through the store, or make a purchase, requesting the help of a salesman, who has a mobile cash register through the application. Once the application is fully developed, the customer can finish their purchase without having to rely on a salesman. This technology does not mean that the customer cannot request the help or support of a seller.
With this unprecedented digital path, eNeNe registers itself in the phygital revolution. About 80 brands will be on display, some well-known to the Portuguese audience, others have yet to be discovered. Among them are Antiga Barbearia de Bairro, of Luís Pereira, who admits he did not “hesitate when invited, consider how appealing the project is”; Carla Matos Joalharia, whose work is known both inside and outside of Portugal, having greater expression outside the country, as admitted by the author. When approached by Carlos Sereno and Luís Filipe Neto, Carla was surprised by the project and enjoyed how design was their biggest bet. “A space that wants to appreciate the Portuguese designers, products, culture, without neglecting the store’s location, which is in one of the most emblematic quarters of Paris, and a street that welcomes around 32 million visitors on an annual basis. Saying no to it was impossible!”