The Retail Renaissance
Imagine if the only thing prohibiting retail’s evolution is our own imaginations.
With the old models for retail being reshaped by Darwinian consumerism, retailers are beginning to surface in new forms, manifesting a willingness to experiment and adapt.
For one thing, this move toward experimentation is epitomized by the here-and-gone pop-ups, what CBRE calls “rogue retail”. A company named Appear Here is running “an Airbnb for pop-ups” and has put its distinctive stickers on unoccupied storefronts around the world (one on the corner of Bleecker and Christopher rents for $1,250 a day). On the other hand, established retailers are enhancing the convenience of in-store shopping with service. “Service means a million little things,” said Jamie Nordstrom, president the century-old family empire. “I want to shop on my phone, but I want to try on in the store.” And then how about having my purchase delivered to my home or hotel?”
Bird, a women’s-clothing boutique managed to thrive and open more stores by giving consumers an escape from the online tyranny of choice. “I don’t want to look at 20,000 new black dresses. I want to see 10,” said owner Jennifer Mankins. “There’s a value placed on the edit. It can actually be less convenient to shop online.”
Admittedly, the evolved retail beginning to rise is, like the rest of our lives, mediated by the digital world. The adapted offline stores provide what can’t be replicated online: a treasure hunt, a new fit, and maybe, a real space to hashtag.
Source: The Cut (May 16, 2018) | Image: Laura Pittaccio