Playmobil Opening Ceremony
World’s First Experience Center in Shanghai
Playmobil, one of the world’s top ten toy brands, opened its first China flagship store and experience center on July 8, 2022 in Shanghai. VIRTUARCH, who had successfully supported Playmobil in quality inspection on-site in the development process, was also invited to the grand Opening Ceremony. VIRTUARCH celebrated together with the other guests, celebrities and cooperation partners of Playmobil, such as Volkswagen, the Borussia Dortmund Football Club (BVB) and the Consul for Science and Technology at the German Consulate General in Shanghai.
Another great place to inspire and hang out for Shanghai
The Playmobil Experience Center has also added a number of digital interactive games, which consumers can interact with through digital physical games at the main entrance to the experience center.
With over 500 shops in China and 300,000 followers on social media, the positive feedback from customers has prompted Playmobil to open its first experience center in China to further enhance its brand image and awareness. As the first Playmobil flagship store in China and the first experience center in the world, this 500 sqm three-stored building in Xujiahui Hengshanfang includes the China headquarter Playmobil and the Inclusion Café.
Charity, Coffee and a playful learning atmosphere
The Inclusion Café is a very special initiative of Corporate Social Responsibility, employing people with intellectual disabilities as baristas in the inclusion café area.
Playmobil board is led by a foundation dedicated to charity, and the company has a natural philanthropic history. Inclusion Café draws on the experience of the Taicang inclusion Factory, which has been operating in China for many years, and is truly for the public good. Moreover, the coffee culture is part of Shanghai’s urban identity and will also serve families and friends who visit the flagship store, relax and can watch the children playing in a playful learning atmosphere.
The successful concept behind the concept
Looking back in history, already in the year of 2019 VIRTUARCH had experienced the project management and quality control of an inclusion project successfully. As part of the VIRTUARCH corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, VIRTUARCH supported Taicang inclusion Factory, a unique initiative integrating people with intellectual disabilities into an industrial working environment in which they produce component parts for industrial customers, just as any other workers would do. In 2020, already 25 challenged individuals have been fully employed.
The Taicang Inclusion Factory is an illuminating example for the impact the business community can have on its social environment. The mission is to facilitate the reintegration of the workers into society to the greatest extent possible. The idea is to help the individuals with intellectual disabilities to become as independent as possible and help them to be able to live on their own. The Taicang Inclusion Factory as well as My Café in the Playmobil Experience Center wants to prove that people with intellectual challenges can perform demanding tasks while contributing to the country’s economic development.
The Inclusion factory project in Taicang was awarded with the “More than a Market” Award of the German Chamber of Commerce Shanghai, a great honor for the VIRTUARCH corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.
- Project Name: Playmobil Experience Center with Inclusion Café
- Plot Area: Shanghai, P.R. China
- GFA: 500㎡
- Project Time line: 2022
- Service: Project Management Consulting
