BMW has opened a flagship store in Paris, set to be the first of an Apple-like network of ‘experience stores’.

The new 800-square-meter store is designed as part-showroom, part-tourist attraction and occupies a central location in one of Paris’s most desirable streets, the Avenue George V.

Among the retail store’s gleaming white walls and large display screens are several BMW models, ranging from sports cars to sedans, which visitors can get close to.

The store is also home to a ‘Product Genius’, a nod to Apple’s ‘Genius Bar’, advisors on-hand to guide buyers to the right decisions and assist in optimizing their vehicles once purchased.

Glitzy showrooms designed to target tourists as well as car buyers aren’t particularly rare in Paris – Peugeot and Renault both occupy huge spaces on the Champs Elysees.

However, the Paris flagship is set to be the first of a global rollout of stores for BMW, which will open similar luxury spaces around the world, along with adapted versions for MINI, also owned by the German automaker.

At the official opening last week, BMW chief Ian Robertson noted, “The world of retail has changed significantly – customer behavior, needs and expectations have changed, as well as communication technology.”