QSR: Transparent Screens for Smart Cookies

May 29, 2025 by guest author, Florian Rotberg

Seoul | A Korean bakery chain is turning heads at the airport with bold digital signage concepts. The Paris Baguette Air Lab at Seoul Incheon Airport is worth a visit – not just for its supposedly best-in-class cookies.

Flagship concepts often seem to have unlimited budgets, don’t have to adhere no strict tech standards, and are designed and operated for a sole purpose: grabbing attention. But the reality is usually different, with budget constraints shaping what’s possible.

From a digital signage perspective, flagship locations can be playgrounds for innovation. The Paris Baguette branch at Seoul Incheon airport’s Terminal 1 proves this with its Air Lab concept, where digital signage specialists brought a unique vision to life – likely with strong backing from the local display industry.

Where else, outside trade fairs or showrooms, can you find a video wall made of ten transparent OLEDs? At the heart of the store, the live bakery is enclosed entirely by these transparent displays. The content is pleasant but not particularly dynamic, only occasionally making clever use of transparency.

At the sales counter, stretch displays at eye level partly block direct eye contact between customers and employees. While digital signage can effectively drive sales at service counters, traditional ceiling-mounted menu boards may have worked better.

A standout feature? Three round LCDs – a rare form factor almost never seen outside exhibitions.

Paris Baguette Air Lab (Image: invidis)

Of course, there’s an order kiosk and a double-sided digital signage column on wheels in front of the store. A Korean retail space wouldn’t be complete without at least one digital ordering terminal inviting customers to shop.

Paris Baguette Air Lab (Image: invidis)

The Air Lab concept is impressively well executed – and, surprisingly, still fully functional after three years. That’s remarkable, as flagship stores often struggle with maintaining digital elements due to a lack of standardized processes and long-term budgets.

Naturally, every flagship needs a signature item. At Paris Baguette, it’s the famous Korean sand cookies – not particularly exotic by European standards, but certainly delicious.

The invidis/Sixteen-Nine crew is travelling year round organizing and attending tradeshows and conferences as well as visiting relevant industry player HQs for background interviews. All articles tagged with a location at the beginning are filed on site.