Photographers and drone operators in London can now head to a new DJI / Hasselblad store to get hands-on with drones and cameras.
The flagship store opened this week right at the heart of England's capital, where the famous shops of Regent Street meet the buzz of Piccadilly Circus.
I visited the store myself to get a feel for the new location, and spoke to Retail Director Allen Lu, who told me the store had been very busy since launch four days ago – with good footfall and selling Hasselblad and DJI products at a pace.
He showed me that, in part thanks to the high ceilings, they were able to let customers try out drones in the store, including the Avata 2 FPV – which was putting a smile on the face of a prospective customer next to us as we spoke.
Hasselblad fans will love the fact that, as well as the chance to get hands-on with the X2D 100C, real respect for the brand's history is on display, with some historic bodies, lenses and literature to browse.
This isn't the first store of its kind in the UK – that honour went to "2nd city" Birmingham, where a similarly gorgeously appointed store opened on Corporation Street (opposite the Apple Store). That had been followed by a DJI store in New York.
The UK stores are operated by DJI Retail and offer customers the chance to shop one-to-one with specialists, buy there and then (or collect in the stores), and trade in eligible devices.
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They can – of course – also be a useful place to go and discuss accessories with experts (propellers do get broken, after all!)
My personal impression of the new London store – and indeed the gorgeous Birmingham store, which I visited a few months ago, is that they both are slick, helpful places. Moreover, by the very nature of their product line, they can't help being a lot more fun than a certain other retailer which might have perhaps inspired the choice of tables – enthusiasm abounds in the best way possible.
Perhaps in honour of the nearby Lego store, perhaps just for fun, there were a number of themed Lego builds on display, including some DJI drone designs and even the DJI corporate headquarters, Sky City.
I also saw tons of DJI merch, including some specially-themed DJI London goodies. There are very stylish shopping bags featuring the famous Eros statue visible from the store, while clearly some special stickers were available!
If you want to check it out yourself, head to 52 Regent Street, London. The London store is open 10:00-9:00pm daily (except Sundays, when it is 12:00 to 18:00).
Check our guide to the best camera drones.
