From shopping to inspiration 

 What exactly comes to mind when you hear "flagship store"? This expression has become commonplace in modern retail, generally referring to a representative store of a retail chain or seller of goods or services. The task of flagship stores is not only sales but also telling the story of a brand and its values, strengthening the image and perception of users and customers.  

Entering the Edeka Zurheide hypermarket in the centre of Düsseldorf, the intuitive concept of a flagship store takes on a new level. Experts agree that this facility surpasses a store level and becomes a destination.  

What's the catch? It's the impression and the experience brought to the visitor and the ambitious plan masterfully implemented.  

Edeka Zurheide is the result of a collaboration between the most significant German retail chain, EDEKA, and the Zurheide family, which has been setting standards in connecting retail and gastronomy for decades. 

The visitor enters a 12,000-square-meter space on two floors with over 60,000 items and a series of gastronomic units in one of Europe's most prestigious, luxurious retail spaces. This space, with its innovative design, assortment, product display, and new experiences of gastronomic culture, takes your breath away and opens up a new horizon for retail outlets. 

The focus is on numerous service counters with dining areas where customers can watch the food being prepared. The counters include a fish market, butcher, bakery, and specialised counters such as a mozzarella or premium beef bar. 

Departments of pastry products, handmade pasta, sushi and Asian food, a coffee lounge, and a specialised section with meat and meat products - provide evidence that you are in a unique place. 

Catering facilities integrated into the market offer takeaway food, self-service options, and gourmet restaurants. Out of over 200 employees at EDEKA Zurheide, over 100 work in gastronomy, including about 30 chefs. A restaurant serving exclusive champagnes paired with matching appetisers and a vegetarian restaurant are some of the places where you can watch food preparation and enjoy excellent meals. 

The space's authors faced the challenge of creating a connection between the ground floor and the underground level and guiding customers through the space to different product categories and gastronomic points. They absolutely succeeded—the visitor leaves here inspired and educated about food preparation, most likely with packaged food from one of the points. 

The luxury atmosphere of Edeka Zurheide is achieved through exclusive interior solutions and equipment. The lighting is the first thing you will notice: it gives the space a sense of lightness and floating. Departments with refrigeration and cooked food are equipped with illuminated display cabinets, and some parts of the store represent autonomous lighting masterpieces. In the food preparation zone, more than 2000 LED lights are used, while the frozen products department is the result of teamwork with the most advanced partners and innovators. 

Edeka Zurheide store can rightfully be called a retail theatre. From purchasing premium products to watching food preparation, gourmet festivals, and events with guest chefs, the user experience here is not just shopping but pure inspiration.