A robotic massager. Electric razors mapping facial contours for better shaves. Smart toasters programmable for waffles, Pop Tarts and grilled cheese sandwiches. A compact AI-controlled camera drones with a “follow me mode.” And an all-in-one air fryer, refrigerator and sous vide cooker with app-based scheduling to prep meals in advance.
These and hundreds of other innovative, technologically driven items from such companies as Whoop, LG and Procter & Gamble are on display at an experiential new retail setting debuting in Manhattan’s Times Square, called Tm:rw. (Tm:rw is pronounced “tomorrow,” and the spelling evokes a digital clock.)
The three-level, 20,000-square-foot Tm:rw store, opening July 29, is located in the historic Candler Building at 220 West 42nd Street. The site was previously occupied by one of McDonald’s largest locations.
“We have a capacity of showing 150 brands with around 600 to 800 skus,” said Jordan Traxler, global head of marketing for Tm:rw, during a tour of the site on Tuesday. Tm:rw uses different business models to procure the products, depending on the brand partner. Some products are bought while others are carried on consignment.
“Tm:rw isn’t about spectacle for its own sake,” Traxler said. “It’s about making what’s next feel personal, meaningful and memorable. How does this product enrich my life? We’re trying to democratize innovation wherever innovation might be. It could anything. We have the Tm:rw Café here where we sell Schmackary’s cookies that explode (with flavor) in your mouth. We aim to inspire.”
Tm:rw presents products across a spectrum of categories from grooming and cooking to wellness, gaming, sports memorabilia and entertainment — including smart eyeglasses with a tele-prompting feature, and face masks with red and blue LED lighting for reducing wrinkles and acne. The store also has a room by Vizio MicMe rigged with a device that transforms your television and sound bar into a karaoke machine.
The futuristic concept is the brainchild of Nathalie Bernce and Jacov Nachtailer. They’re the cofounders of the nine-year-old, privately owned, London-based Smartech Retail Group, a tech firm and retail platform showcasing innovative tech products from big, established companies as well as start-ups.
While Times Square houses the first and only freestanding Tm:rw store, there are Smartech shops operating inside three European department stores: Selfridges in London, KaDeWe in Berlin and Rinascente in Rome. They will eventually bear the Tm:rw banner.
According to Traxler, additional freestanding and in-store Tm:rw shops are in the works in the U.S. and beyond, perhaps as soon as next year. Smartech made its debut at Selfridges in 2016, originally with a 75-square-foot shop which over time expanded to approximately 6,000 square feet, becoming one of the famed emporium’s largest concessions.
Labeling the Tm:rw concept a store seems inadequate because of its various visual attractions, entertainment features and experiences, such as the world’s second-largest 3D hologram (at 17 feet high) by Hypervsn; the immersive motor sports installation featuring state-of-the-art Phoenix racing simulators, and a virtual reality machine that simulates flying like a bird.
On the main floor, there is a Formula 1 show car, which is not for sale though most everything shown is for sale, and upstairs, there’s the Tm:rw Café, featuring innovation in food preparation. On display, a Solato machine that uses capsules to create fresh gelato, and a robotic vending machine from Sweet Robo that makes cotton candy and soft-serve ice cream.
“You might ask, why is there a Formula 1 show car? How is that tech or innovation? Well, fiberglass and carbon fiber first showed up to make Formula 1 cars faster and lighter, and then it trickled down, probably into some tech that you have in your home,” Traxler explained. “We look at creators and disruptors. We want to create a platform for these people.”
Products are displayed on silver plinths with screens projecting brand content.
There’s certainly a lot to discover at Tm:rw but to facilitate the learning process the space will be staffed with a team of 40 full-time salaried and commissioned sales associates demonstrating and teaching shoppers about the offerings. Many of the products are displayed on silver plinths handmade in Hamburg, Germany, out of fiber glass and epoxy resin with automotive finishing that have screens projecting brand content. That’s unlike other retailers that have traditional point-of-purchase printed materials, which have to be swapped out when new products are on the selling floor. The Tm:rw setting was designed in collaboration with architect Harry Nuriev, founder and creative director of Crosby Studios, who has also designed stores for Nike, Jimmy Choo and Balenciaga, among other brands.
“Tm:rw was designed to evoke curiosity and adventure,” said Bernce in a statement. “This is a space where innovation enhances — not replaces — the human experience. We’ve built a home for those who think differently, and a destination that invites discovery.” Bernce serves as chief executive officer of Smartech, while Nachtailer serves as the firm’s chief operating officer.
Other highlights, or zones, inside the store are the 517-square-foot Corner Shop, which every four to six weeks will showcase a different brand. First up is Whoop, for cutting-edge health and fitness trackers monitoring of sleep, heart rate, stress, blood pressure and overall wellness. Next up will be a shop for Anker, displaying its most advanced, super fast chargers. There is also The Sanctuary, a “sonic oasis” featuring best-in-class home audio technologies from Amazon Alexa.
“A lot of people, are afraid of AI or afraid of robots or afraid of technology,” suggested Traxler. “I want people to walk away from this space to realize that technology is enriching their lives and introduce them to products that they love.”
Race car simulators at the new Tm:rw store.
