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The AP Boutique luxury experience

In today’s blog, we are going to talk about the unique experience that shopping in an Audemars Piguet boutique represents. We already talked about their concept of AP House that innovates the retailing experience but we did not discuss the more traditional shopping experience in their boutique.

Sensory pleasure 

One of the first elements that you may sense in an AP boutique, is the warm and cozy design of their interior. The interior is open, there are fresh flowers disposed around the store, comfortable sofas and a bar made with stone reminiscent of the typical dry stone wall that you may find in the field of the Vallée de Joux. Most of the furniture is made in wood and matches perfectly with the gold / black / white paint on the wall and the vitrine. Movies showing the beautiful landscape of the Jura are displayed on screens which further reinforce the brand origin and their heritage.



Affective Pleasure

At the entry of every AP boutiques, a welcoming, agreeable and open guard is standing. Inside the boutique, a warm ambiance that makes you feel at home and a limited number of visitors allow for a pleasant visit. With their wider size, the AP Houses allow for these feelings of warmth and belonging to be even more present.



Intellectual pleasure 

It should be noted that the majority of the watches shown at Audemars Piguet stores are not for sale. Anyone interested in purchasing one of these magnificent timepieces must sign up for a waiting list and wait several months, if not years, before receiving their watch. Obviously, this causes some frustration, but it also highlights the fact that a watch of this caliber is not made in a single day and not made for anybody. Moreover, the increased desire associated with the waiting makes the moment when the buyer finally receives the item even more enjoyable.



Social pleasure 

Any customer entering an AP boutique is expected to be knowledgeable about the brand and the type of product they wish to buy - you do not really roam in an AP boutique. The staff is polite and not arrogant like at some brand. They ask you if you need help and want to see something specific, they also offer you a drink and chocolate. The sales staff is well-informed about the products and knowledgeable. They do not push you to buy, which may be due to the fact that most of their watches have a long waiting list before having the chance to buy one. This is due to their strategy based on limiting the amount of watches produced per year to only 40k and the strong appreciation of the brand those last few years. Because the boutique is directly right to the street, there is not much privacy for clients that may want to be discreet, so for this reason, there is a private lounge available directly in the boutique.



Long-term pleasure

Through the various pleasure dimensions, it is clear why the brand may be focusing more and more on their AP Houses, and why they should. Indeed, the concept allows for a greater stimulation of the pleasure dimensions, and most importantly of the affective and social pleasures. The former can be further triggered through the feeling of belonging and feeling at home, and the latter through the private social events that can be hosted at the AP Houses.

Although the boutiques are still a great way to connect with the customers, every aspect that clients are looking for and that make for a great purchase experience, the AP Houses have a more thrilling experience to offer.

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