"Vertu"ally Peerless

The "One and Three" design principle that Vertu - the world's leading luxury mobile phone manufacturer - implemented in the creation of its new boutique at the Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City is deep-rooted in Vietnamese tradition. "One" stands for nhất đạo which means to work in accordance to the natural flow of things and not forcing success, thus becoming one with nature. If they continue to do what they do best, it is only natural for them to keep winning. "Three" stands for tam tài which means there are three keys to success: time, place and humanity. Not only are they important in business, they have played a vital role in all aspects of Vietnamese life.

Layout model of the Vertu Boutique in the Rex Hotel. Courtesy of Dân Trí.

But "One and Three" is not the company's only principle when operating in Vietnam. Vertu makes a very visible effort to showcase a harmony between nature and man through its products: diamonds, titanium and gold combined by the hands of master workers to create not mere mobile phones but beautiful sculptures.

For the new boutique, even the company's logo served as an inspiration. Its vivid shade of gold is presented on every single piece of furniture and display piece in the store. Platinum, not silver, is used sparingly to give the interior a classy look and feel so that the customers, or anyone who visits the boutique, are not taken aback by the seemingly outrageous display of luxury. The reception desk is billeted from a single block of steel and half of it wrapped in French-made black leather, the other is platinum-plated. The walls are painted in black and polished so that the interior of the boutique is effectively a giant mirror box. This was done to create the impression that it is packed with beautiful phones because in reality, the boutique holds only twenty-four pieces, the most affordable of which already commands in excess of $10000 and on the other end of the affordability spectrum is a piece that has a six-figure price tag.

The sales area. Courtesy of Saigon News.

By not carrying many pieces in its inventory, the boutique has an advantage that is not immediately recognizable from the outside. It is spacious. With a total display area of 150 square meters, the Rex boutique easily meets the standard for Vertu stores all around the world. It is also a prime location right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's shopping district. At Vertu, it is no longer sufficient to merely place display cases around the store and leave potential customers to wander their way around. Their artful displays evokes a feeling of lasting heritage and the connection between Renaissance Europe and Vertu's vision of the future. It is rumored that for this particular store, the in-house designers created it on paper themselves and handed it over to some of the best architects in the United Kingdom to bring it to life.

Ms. Trần Ngọc Tuyến, Head of the Marketing Department for Vertu in Vietnam shared her thoughts on what this boutique means to Vertu and Vietnam. "This is certainly not the biggest store in Vietnam, but it is the grandest. Setting up this fourth boutique in the country signals that Vertu believes in this market and will maintain its powerful presence."

The Rex Arcade (the Vertu Boutique lies deep inside). Courtesy of  Tin Mới.

Adjacent to the sales area is an area designated as "Private". Here, customers can relax on luxurious sofas and entertain themselves with various forms of media. Large transactions, personal requests and special orders will also be made carried out in this area - separated from the rest of the store by a thick, black wall of stainless steel and acrylic - to keep them away from curious eyes and ears.

The last area of the store is the Care Zone which takes care of problems any problem that appears under warranty. The staff looking after these top-of-the-line mobile phones are all trained in Europe and operates under strict international guidelines. Before this Care Zone was opened, any problem concerning warranty meant that the phone had to be shipped to Shanghai, now they can be dealt with immediately in Vietnam. This means customers can finally get their phone checked up and returned much faster.

The Vertu logo. Courtesy of Lux Mobi Tech.

One would assume that after more than 15 years as the world's leading luxury mobile phone maker, Vertu would have nothing more to prove. On the contrary, they have maintained focus and steered ahead on their predetermined path. To inspire customers as well as provide impeccable service has been the company's ideology from day one. Now, they have nowhere else to go but forward.