The first United Colors of Benetton temporary store inaugurates today in Corso Vittorio Emanuele 24, with a preview of Child collections for A/W 2008

Luciano and Alessandro Benetton, respectively chairman and executive deputy chairman of Benetton Group, inaugurate today the first United Colors of Benetton temporary store, entirely dedicated to children and mothers. The store, which will be open for two months hosting many new features, will introduce the exclusive preview of the autumn/winter 2008 collection.

The temporary store - 1500 square metres on two floors – presents the new System concept, designed to show to best effect the products in the two main collections, Baby for newborn to 5 years and Kid for 6-12 years. A special mood is created right from the entrance where a towering, kaleidoscopic cascade of T-shirts will welcome young and grown-up customers alike.

A series of dedicated services will put children firmly at the centre of attention: a Team Coppola hairstylist will give under-12s a new haircut in the latest trend; a personal shopper, a true style specialist, will guide mothers and children in making purchases that suit the child’s look and personality.

The shopping experience will be made even easier through the use of a practical touchscreen conversion chart to help customers find the right size. And a light-hearted test, What type are you?, allows kids to define their look and find it inside the store. There will also be an area for the creation of personalized, unique gift packages.

Before the year end, the United Colors of Benetton temporary store for children will be replicated at a permanent location in Milan.

System is an interior décor concept devised to create a warm, sophisticated atmosphere. There are two versions with different styles and features: Baby System (newborn to 5 years) and Kid System (6-12 years). The Baby area is decorated in soft colours, natural materials, suffused lighting. The furnishings are composed of large display cupboards, sets of drawers and a baby-changing corner. A delicate world with the added charm of fragrant candles, cushions and plush toys; an area where mothers find it easy to choose baby clothes. The Kid area enhances the products on display through the use of grey tones which highlight the Benetton collection’s power of colour. The walls feature giant product photos of the collection’s highlights and also support product display fittings. Similarly, striking display cases present the collection’s key looks.

The Milan temporary store showcases the A/W 2008-2009 collection. A total look for babies, children and expectant mothers. Glossy and glitter fabrics, feminine elegance in grey or punk black, lots of denim, vintage taste and colourful little coats form the girls’ look. Carefully detailed padded and non-padded jackets, slim-fit trousers, 5-pocket and cargo pants, college-style, sporty or punk sweatshirts for boys. Newborn styles go from the classic pink, blue and butter of the layette range to the brighter tones of the fashion line. The maternity range completes the collections.

There are over 1,000 UCB children stores around the world. United Colors of Benetton children sales grew by 15% in 2007, accounting for 30% of total revenues.