In Milan, the presence of retail spaces dedicated to contract is growing. Where different brands come together to propose a more advantageous system offer in terms of quality, economies of scale, delivery times and costs. Towards a new business model: B2B2C

The keystone of the contract is knowing how to manage the complexity of increasingly personalized projects.

The 'turnkey' supplies today find multiple formulas to which correspond both different interlocutors, from the architect to the general contractor, as well as differentiated services and business models, from the proposal of specifications in a residential construction site with relative customizations the fit-out of short-term rentals especially in the case of the real estate market in large cities.

It is no coincidence, therefore, that the presence of retail spaces dedicated to contract is higher in cities like Milan.

Complementary companies in the offer and similar in terms of positioning and customer target come together to propose a coordinated and system offer. This is how new showrooms for networks of companies were born, conceived not only as exhibition spaces, but also places for design consultancy where to develop customized proposals, managed by a single interlocutor in the various development phases: from order to customization, from delivery to assembly and after-sales assistance.

The first of its kind was the Milan Contract District (MCD), born in 2016 from an idea by Lorenzo Pascucci. Today it has an internal logistic structure, a team of over 70 professionals and a showroom of approximately 1700 square meters. Since the beginning, MCD, which brings together many high-end brands of Made in Italy, has proposed itself as the only point of contact for real estate operators, architects and interiors in the furnishing and fit-out process of 'turnkey' interiors.

Today MCD has about 94 construction sites mainly in Milan and over 2000 housing units to be delivered within the next three years. Inside the showroom, a special area, The Apartment, offers interior design solutions in a 1: 1 scale architectural environment, for a more realistic and tangible visiting experience.

The housing solutions are currently being set up for Milano 3.0, the residential complex of 260 apartments designed by Alfonso Femia, whose interiors are developed in detail in collaboration with MCD.

Corrado Molteni, general manager of Mo. 1950, he has been following this type of b2b consultancy for many years, starting with the multi-brand showroom in Varedo. In 2010 he opens a space in Milan to offer a more architectural service to Cesar Cucine; over the years, Caccaro, Ditre, Calligaris, Rexa and Quadrodesign have been added to this brand, allowing the integrated supply of furniture for all areas of the house.

In 2022, Mo. 1950 opens a new concept store in via Carducci, designed by Matteo Lualdi of the lualdimeraldi studio, which offers customized solutions thanks to the offer of Olivieri and Frag and the technical contribution of Carpet Edition.

The strength of Mo. 1950 is also the consolidated network of professionals, artisans and subcontractors who allow the most disparate changes to the catalog standard. And the materioteca, with multiple moodboards that combine stoneware, fabrics, wallpaper, wood and other materials to guide customers - mostly designers and general contractors - in the multiple customization possibilities.

One of the latest references is the Heliora residential complex in Milan, which is the synthesis of reciprocity between the brands, in response to an increasingly pressing demand from manufacturers for flexibility , breadth and competitiveness of the offer.

Pianca & Partners is a network of companies serving architects, interior designers, developers, builders and investors, to whom it offers consultancy and dedicated products for custom projects in the residential, hôtellerie, naval and real estate sectors.

The network of 27 made in Italy brands, of which Pianca is the leader, works as a facilitator and accelerator in contract projects. The variety of the brands allows for tailor-made supplies from interior doors to armored ones, from stained glass windows to wood paneling and wallpaper, from furnishings for the whole house to lighting.

In 2020 Pianca & Partners opens its own 900 square meter showroom, designed by Calvi Brambilla, and today is equipping itself with new services for designers and companies: digital moodboards from create on touchscreen monitors and the Virtual Reality Modeling Service to return ideas and projects through an immersive 3D experience. Several references made so far in Milan and around the world, including the Habitaria housing complex in Brera and the Onda Luxury Residence in Miami.

Recently, the opening of Livinwow by the same company as MCD, to respond to the growing demand for new interior concepts, especially in metropolises, aimed at specific targets: from the tail of the X Generation to the Millennials. Conceived according to a B2B2C model, Livinwow is a showroom of over 450 square meters with integrated housing proposals of 13 partner companies and design moodboards.

The physical set-up is flanked by the virtual experience thanks to an ad hoc space, the digital Arena, which allows you to navigate in 1: 1 scale within your own home project. The offer of services - from consultancy to project planning and management - is therefore b2b because it is aimed at the real estate sector, also responding to the demand of the rental market, which is increasingly segmented and demanding in terms of the times and costs of renovations and fit-outs.

But soon it will also be b2c thanks to the direct digital channel. Livinwow aims to accelerate the sales of a real estate development and increase the demand for rental properties, reducing time and unexpected construction sites, for houses 'ready to live' at the deed or , if rented, immediately upon completion of the work.

Large areas dedicated to contract are increasingly frequent even within single-brand flagship stores.

This is the case of the recent Aran Spazio Contract in the Porta Nuova area of ​​Milan.

This area of ​​physical contact with real estate players is strategic for those companies that can count on a vertical and fully manageable production process from the procurement of raw materials to the assembly of furniture. Here it is possible, starting from the catalog offer, to study customized solutions without commercial mediation and directly enter the BIM information specifications with order volumes and more competitive costs.

Among the recent tenders in Milan followed by Aran Spazio Contract, 35 apartments in the Talea tower, managed by Impresa Rusconi with the architecture studio Beretta Associati , and the residential project L'Innesto, redevelopment of the railway yard of Milan Greco-Breda, managed by Redo sgr on behalf of the Lombardia Real Estate Fund.

But since system offers are favored in contract projects, Aran Spazio Contract has also established partnerships with Natuzzi and Samsung Electronics Italia in some ongoing projects.