Lisbon, 17th March 2010. Benetton returns to Lisbon, making a major investment in the city’s historical heritage and with its eye firmly on the future. Today the Group’s new megastore opens on the magnificent Pedro IV Square, the popular Rossio. It ideally represents the brand’s current identity and its interpretation of the future. Here, shopping will be an expression of creativity so we are, above all, ourselves. A concept confirmed by the huge success of the online global casting It’s My Time to find the faces of United Colors of Benetton’s product campaign for autumn/winter 2010-2011. The competition closed yesterday and included almost 2,000 Portuguese entries.

Benetton’s new Lisbon megastore, distributed over three sales floors, is located in the beautiful oldLoja das Meias building (on the corner of Rua Augusta), which has been restored to the city after major renovations. It is a tangible symbol of Benetton’s optimism and its desire to continue investing globally, especially in the historic districts of capital cities. The new location joins the prestigious store in Chiado, Lisbon’s ancient cultural and commercial district, and it further boosts Benetton’s retail presence in Portugal, where the group has some 140 stores, more than 30 of which are in Lisbon.

The Benetton building occupies more than 1,000 m²  and was radically restyled, with major structural and conservation work, including the installation of a new lift. Special care was taken in restoring the old azulejos, a glazed-ceramic decorative element typical of Portuguese architecture. The azulejoscontinue to add a very special touch to the building’s walls, especially on the third floor, which will be given over to offices and the new Benetton and Sisley showroom. This floor also has elegant, white-painted wood period ceilings, a sanded wood floor restored to its original condition, and new doors and windows based on the originals.

Amidst atmospheres from the past and modern design, the new megastore’s interior spaces host the young, evocative styles of the United Colors of Benetton world. Women’s collections and accessories are on the ground floor, men’s collections on the first and children’s ranges on the second. The retail areas are decorated in warm tones which show off the spring/summer 2010 collections’ various themes and colours to best effect. The sophisticated interior design is devised to create actual departments characterised by a range concept.

In fact each collection has its own special furnishing concept. Twins has flexible fittings which make the Benetton Woman’s and Man’s display arrangements ever-new and welcoming. System is designed to effectively present the two main children’s collections (Baby, for newborns and for the 1-5 age group; and Kid for children in the 6-12 age group). Lastly, Frame is an elegant display concept for accessories that plays on the contrast between its coppery metal fittings and the clean white colour which dominates the interior space.