ASIA PACIFIC – October 29, 2013 – Global brand consultancy, FutureBrand, has acquired award- winning consumer experience design agency, UXUS, to build on its track record in retail, which includes work for Bentley and Barclays Premier.
UXUS focuses on the design of retail and hospitality spaces, FutureBrand said in a press release.
Although based in Amsterdam, UXUS conducts projects all over the world, with clients including Bloomingdale’s, Chanel, InterContinental Hotels Group, Tate Modern, P&G, Sephora, and McDonald’s. It has recently completed projects for Qatar Luxury Group’s new global brand Qela, the Selfridges Beauty Workshop, and luxury hotel Peninsula Hong Kong’s luxury t store Peninsula Boutique.
UXUS will retain its identity and operational autonomy under the deal, FutureBrand said.
Sarah Reiter, President at FutureBrand Asia Pacific, said, “UXUS is considered the most premium retail and experiential design firm globally – the are chosen by clients who want exceptional outcomes. This new addition greatly enhances our value to Asian clients who can now access extraordinary talent for category breaking outcomes, previously only available in Europe and North America.”
“UXUS will raise the bar considerably on the definition and delivery of retail design currently available in the marketplace within Asia,” she said.
Patrick Smith, CEO at FutureBrand Worldwide, said, “FutureBrand is growing strongly organically but in UXUS we found the ideal opportunity to bolster our retail design business. UXUS has the ideal combination of world-class skills, big brand experience and outstanding creativity that has made it a leader in the field. Its culture, which features a strong ethos of excellence, also made it a natural choice. Our joint ambition is to truly globalise the UXUS brand in the next three to five years and in doing so meet brands’ increasing demand for unique and immersive consumer experiences.”
For his part, George Gottl, Chief Creative Officer, and Oliver Michell, Chief Creative Officer and Architect, at UXUS said, “We are thrilled to be part of FutureBrand’s business. Its resources and reach will provide us with access to new sectors and markets and enhance our ability to scale rapidly to meet any brief. Our direct clients will also now benefit from a full complement of design services, including digital. Most of all, we are excited to have a partner that shares our goals and an even larger canvas on which to craft innovative brand experiences that people fall in love with."
