How Do You Sell Small Cloth Shoes To Make A Real Lifestyle Shop?

A few years ago, when Blake Mycoskie, the founder of footwear company Toms, talked with executives about opening retail stores, the discussion started at a stalemate about the word "shop".

"I don't want to do it according to the store," Mycoskie said. "I don't think that will add any value."

He recalled the arguments with his colleagues, "I said at the time," we have to call the community outpost.

The base feels more like a conference center, information center, or even a political gathering place.

That's where something happens. "

Mycoskie persuaded others that his company opened its first "Toms Outpost" in Venice District of Losangeles 3 years ago.

Customers will see a backyard with seats and free Wi-Fi, morning yoga and evening movies.

In addition, there is a cafe providing "Toms coffee" (brand new product business).

Of course, there are also traditional products of Toms, such as shoes and glasses, which are displayed in specific areas of the room.

As Mycoskie said, the idea is to create a "brand centered lifestyle".

The founder of Toms, Blake Mycoskie, opened a space called "community base".

Toms Outpost (currently 7 stores are still planning more new stores) is part of the new atmosphere that is emerging in the fashion retail experience world.

In a standardized retail store, there are still shelves, commodity display tables, and sometimes less enthusiastic salesmen, who are lifeless for a long time, while luxury boutiques, though artistic and quiet, are very dull for many young shoppers.

Instead of developing a retail center like a community center, a warm and hospitable environment provides experience in addition to products.

In recent years, brands such as Club Monaco have opened up coffee and book space to some extent.

However, the new mode is also putting the cart before the horse in the way of thinking, attracting the attraction of community construction as the primary consideration, but the clothing itself appears to be secondary.

This is the concept of The Store, the retail space opened in Soho House Berlin last January.

There are comfortable Axel Vervoordt sofa, green plants everywhere, and organic food kitchen.

DJ is playing music, and there are some conventional art installations in the room.

People can bring their laptops to stay here for a while everyday.

Last year, the creative space opened in 1 Soho House Berlin was "The Store".

Alex Eagle, creative director of The Store, said, "this is a

The same place, where fresh juice is the same as Lssey Miyake's sweater.

Indeed, only about 1/5 of the 3 million square feet of space are used for traditional retail layout.

It looks like a risky business decision, but Eagle says that even if the room is full of goods, there will be no competitive advantage.

"Now a mouse can easily buy all kinds of goods," she said. "You need to provide experience.

People want something that can decorate their time. "

E-commerce has become the driving force for all major brands to develop community based retail space.

If people can buy fashionable brands at the door, why do they go shopping?

"It's very difficult for people to shop, because the online shopping experience is getting better and better," said Kim Vernon, a brand consultant and senior insider. "Bringing people into a store is the most intelligent thing."

Brand practices vary.

Some brands, like Toms, are developing towards cafes and activities.

The new street clothing brand Kit & Ace has retail stores in Canada, England, Australia and the United States. They hold a "Suppers Ace" (Sunday dinner) every season, which is served by a local chef and promoted by word of mouth.

Nina Garduno founded the retail store in Losangeles.

"Free City Supershop", she co worked with the record label Light in the Attic, and opened a temporary record store in January.

The theme of the shop is changing every year. Garduno and the team come up with a theme, and then invite artists to create products, decorations and art installations around the store theme.

Charity shops and community think shops are also a good strategy against retail sales.

Mycoskie said that in order to set up Toms Outposts, his company had to learn something new, such as food and beverage. In addition, shops in some cities needed to open at 6 o'clock in the morning, which was unheard of before, in order to cater for commuter office workers.

But it was a good decision to make such a decision, he said.

Just as he decided to start a company 9 years ago, every time he sold a pair of shoes, he sent out a pair of shoes for people who needed shoes badly.

"For those companies that make perfect products the sole goal, the market still has room for them," Mycoskie said. "But I really feel that if you have good products, there will be bigger goals to get people involved. This is a competitive advantage."

In many ways, Garduno is ahead of the trend.

When she opened Free City Supershop in 2010, she envisaged a place similar to laundromat, where you would get together with neighbors.

She added: "it is not enough to make every effort to make money and sell more clothes.

Providing such content is far from enough.

People will not buy only for buying. "

This idea of feedback is very attractive to the millennial shoppers. Many people are very interested in social issues such as environment and want to participate in charity activities.

They want to know that the money they spend has a positive impact on society.

Fashion brands also want to convey to customers that their businesses represent not only profits.

"We are not only a

It appears, "J. J. Wilson, founder of Kit & Ace, said," we are looking for ways to make the world develop in a better direction. "

Wilson points out that at least 30% parts of each Kit / Ace store are completed by nearby creative people, such as dinner tables in many restaurants.

Employing local craftsmen can make each shop unique. He said, this is also the way we call community groups and arouse their interest.