At its new 5,800-square-foot Manhattan Beach showroom, The 1916 Company has, for the first time, integrated a dedicated Collector's Lounge into a high-footfall retail space, signaling a bold bet on immersive luxury experiences. This significant expansion, a key part of the company's 2026 strategy, includes a 1,350-square-foot Rolex space. The showroom officially opened in April 2026, according to National Today.
Luxury retail is often perceived as shifting online, but The 1916 Company is making a significant physical expansion into a new market with a large, experiential showroom.
Therefore, this move suggests a strategic confidence in the enduring value of high-touch, in-person luxury engagement, potentially setting a new benchmark for how high-end brands connect with their clientele.
A Strategic Entry into a New Market
The Manhattan Beach showroom marks The 1916 Company's first new market entry since its formation, despite being its 25th location worldwide, according to The 1916 Company. This implies previous locations were expansions within existing markets, making this a significant strategic pivot for a global company. With seven multi-brand showrooms and six dedicated boutiques across the U.S. according to National Today, the company is pursuing a deliberate strategy for growth and deeper market penetration by moving into a fresh, high-value market.
The Evolution of Experiential Luxury Retail
The 1916 Company integrated a Collector's Lounge into a high-footfall retail showroom, a first for the brand, according to WatchPro USA. Following two years of development for the Manhattan Beach expansion, this unprecedented move marks a maturation of their retail strategy. It prioritizes community building and exclusive experiences over mere product display, creating immersive, high-touch engagements for discerning clientele.
Luxury Retail's Shifting Focus
This bold physical expansion directly contrasts with broader industry trends, affirming a unique strategic confidence in the enduring appeal of in-person luxury. The 1916 Company's two-year development of its 5,800-square-foot Manhattan Beach showroom, with its Collector's Lounge, marks a strategic pivot. It positions deep, personalized client engagement as the primary driver for ultra-luxury growth, challenging the industry's online migration. The move is a calculated, long-term strategic play, not a routine expansion, and signifies a deliberate shift in growth strategy.
Future Trends in Luxury Showrooms
The success of this experiential model in Manhattan Beach could influence how other luxury brands approach physical retail. The 1916 Company dedicates 1,350 square feet to Rolex within the new showroom, leveraging established brand prestige to anchor an immersive retail experience. This bets that high-value consumers still prioritize exclusive, in-person interactions for significant luxury purchases. If successful, this strategy could see other luxury retailers adapting similar high-touch, personalized showroom models, shifting industry focus further from purely digital engagement.
The 1916 Company's Manhattan Beach showroom, with its integrated Collector's Lounge, appears likely to redefine luxury retail by prioritizing immersive, in-person experiences over purely transactional models.
