Timberland is on the verge of experimentation. And on Aug. 3, King of Prussia customers entered the Timberland Tree Lab—the first specialty concept store for the brand. The inaugural location in Pennsylvania is just one of the hyper-tech hubs in Timberland’s master plan for the fall. The lifestyle outfitter promises a slew of enhanced brick-and-mortars matched with product launches for men as well as initiatives aimed towards women.
The Tree Lab is set up like gallery and changes theme every six weeks. Its first theme is Streetology, a combination of the city lifestyle and the science behind Timberland’s modernized designs. “The Tree Lab is more than just a place to shop,” said brand exec Kate Kibler. “Everything a consumer experiences from the moment they enter has been designed to enhance their visit, expand their horizons, and leave them with a great memory to go along with that beautiful new pair of shoes.”Art including the brand’s tree logo and a modified periodic table decorate the shop walls. The store associates are dressed in special hoodies and hand out drawstring shoppings bags with every purchase. Soon the store will be home to the FlyRoam collection—Timberland’s upcoming release equipped with AeroCore for energy and SensorFlex for comfort. In the meantime, customers can test out new products while enjoying craft beer from Tröegs Independent Brewing or water in a bottle that could be later recycled into shoelaces or linings, Timberland hints.
September is for the ladies at the King of Prussia Tree Lab. Timberland will redo the entire store to fit its next theme, SHEvolution. Along with it, the brand will put together collection of boots and shoes especially made for women surrounding the words: “Feminine. Tough. Beautiful. Well-crafted. Comfortable.” SHEvolution will last until holiday installations take over in November.
Joining the King of Prussia Tree Lab will be a multitude of Timberland “flex retail” and specialty stores placed around the US. The first of the bunch include ones at: Stanford Shopping Center in Stanford, CA on Aug. 18; Couch Street in Portland, OR on Sept.1; and Mall of America in Bloomington, MN on Sept.1.
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