AUSTIN (KXAN) --- New immersive and unique stores continue to open in Austin. From Nespresso to IKEA, big names are setting up shop at The Domain.
Nespresso just opened its new immersive and interactive styled boutique. The Domain is welcoming in the company's first location in the country.
"This is a new concept for us in the US market, where it's truly meant to be an immersive and very experiential space where customers can feel curious."
Sondra Seecharan, Nespresso's Retail Customer Relationship Manager
The new stores offer masterclass and discovery stations to help educate people about curating recipes and learning more about Nespresso's mission.
The Austin location has a mosaic panel mural created by locals and an art installation by an Austin mixed media artist, J Muzacz.
Seecharan said The Domain is a great home for Nespresso because of the variety of customers they see.
"It's great that this Domain has residences, but then you also have a lot of tourists that come," Seecharan said. "This is such a good fit for us to really be able to create experiences for all customer types. Whether they're new, they're younger, they're older, they're existing, they're loyal."
At the beginning of the year, IKEA announced plans to open its second store in Austin. However, this one is different from the original retail stores.
"We do have some articles that you can pick up and take home. Great, affordable items that everybody needs. But mostly it's about coming in and working with an IKEA expert and planning your kitchen, your bedroom and your bathroom," said IKEA Austin-area Loyalty Manager Natasha Vaughan-Johnson
The new format gives customers the unique experience of sitting down with an IKEA expert to design, plan and quote products. The retailer held a grand opening on June 21.
IKEA officials claim this store is only the start of its expansion into Texas, specifically the Austin area.
"Austin not only being the live music capital of the world, but also fashion, design, art," Vaughan-Johnson said. "People have an eye. We have a very large culture of creative people that live here. Coming into IKEA, I think really sparks that imagination."
Director of Marketing for The Domain, Monica Esparza, said these immersive stores are part of a growing trend.
Esparza said brands are trying to connect with the consumer on a different level.
"A lot of these brands are turning into new concept stores that have more of an 'experience concepts' behind them," Esparza said. "We've got Museum of Ice Cream. We have Museum of Illusions."
Esparza said Austin is the perfect place for these types of stores, because of the people that live here.
"The Austin consumer is definitely artsy," Esparza said. "They're definitely looking for the latest trends."
The Domain is currently going through a huge renovation right now, according to Esparza. She said they're expecting to welcome several new stores in the near future.
