Returning to the city where its Italian adventure began 15 years ago, Nespresso has opened a new flagship boutique in Milan. Taking its place on Milan’s stately Piazza del Liberty, the flagship boutique stands testament to the company’s success in the birthplace of espresso, which currently enjoys 33 Nespresso sales points throughout the peninsula with almost 700 employees.
“Our first flagship boutique in Italy also represents a heart-felt tribute to Milan, where we opened our first Italian boutique at Piazza San Babila,” noted Fabio Degli Esposti, Market Director of Nespresso Italy.
The establishment of the flagship boutique in Milan is no coincidence: the city is recognised as a global epicentre of design and fashion, and is the financial and commercial capital of Italy. “Milan is a city of innovation, where Nespresso finds a true reflection of itself in its lively, dynamic reality,” Degli Esposti added.
Sophisticated design places the customer at the heart of the journey
The flagship boutique was designed by studio Parisotto + Formenton, which has been responsible for many of Nespresso’s retail shops, boutiques and cafés around the world.
The boutique covers around 700 square metres across four floors, and places the customer journey at the centre of its design.
Dark rosewood and black metal accents invoke the richness of pure roasted coffee beans and espresso, while a lighter oak wood recalls the colour of coffee with milk. A light coffee scent is periodically released into the air, adding to the sensory atmospherics. At night, the illuminated interior conveys the luxury of the boutique experience, highlighting the floating staircase and welcoming interior through double-height glass windows.
New areas for exclusive service
The Flagship entrance welcomes customers with a central Signature Table, where they can discover the most important Nespresso news, while the nearby Tasting Area is dedicated exclusively to tasting the Grand Crus. For heightened convenience, the automated Self Selection area enables Club Members to quickly choose and purchase their favourite capsules. At the Pick Up area, products can be collected that were pre-ordered at www.nespresso.com or over the phone.
The lower ground floor offers new service features for Italian Club Members. The Atelier Expert is dedicated to workshops and special coffee tastings. The Nespresso technicians of At Your Service provide customer care. Nespresso coffee specialists are available to advice on purchases at the Grand Cru area.
The mezzanine provides another Grand Cru area and the Machine Gallery, displaying the entire collection of Nespresso appliances. The top floor is reserved for meetings and Nespresso Business Solutions.
Recycling, a key aspect of Nespresso sustainability commitments
As in the other Nespresso boutiques in Italy, the dedicated Recycling Area on the lower level is one of the ways Nespresso offers its Club Members to contribute to the recovery of aluminium as a valuable resource. In 2011, Nespresso established a capsule collection and recycling system in Italy. Used Nespresso capsules can currently be brought to 81 capsule collection points found throughout the country. In the first three years of operation, Nespresso’s recycling partner CiAl (the Italian national consortium for the recycling of aluminium packaging) reported 775 tonnes of used Nespresso capsules collected and recycled. The spent coffee grounds are transformed into organic compost that is used for the cultivation of rice, which is then donated to a local non-profit food bank.
