Winners 2015/Interiors and Environments Silver

Project: 1A St James's

Client: Dunhill Tobacco Limited of London, British American

Design: Household

Dunhill Tobacco needed to create an ultra-modern flagship store that would help them sell their product in an industry that is negatively perceived. Suffering from the ban on consumption in public, the tobacco industry has experienced a long-term decline in sales.

By moving away from the tradition and formality of old gentleman’s clubs, the 1A St James’s flagship store was transformed into an aspirational lifestyle hangout. The central idea was ‘new heritage’ with an eye to offering an experience
to appeal to astute devotees.

The consequence has been that the store is viewed as a unique and contemporary experience, with consumers happy to pay more for the combination of product, service and familiarity. There has been a staggering sales uplift of over 390%, with 82% of visitors making a purchase. It has also become a space that people want to return to, with a 47% increase in regular visitors.