Op-Ed
There is a really interesting article in the Styles section of the Times today about a store called the Free City Supershop in Malibu, CA. For those of you unfamiliar with it, as I was before the article, it is the kind of place that sells vintage bikes, tee pees, and $200 t-shirts. The woman who created it, Nina Garduno, is behind the menswear at Fred Segal. The marketing pitch for Free City is that instead of just consuming, like at the Gap, you go there to actually have a shopping experience. Interesting that "superstore" connotes a large discount retailer, when this place aims to be just the opposite.
The article makes it seems as if this woman is reinventing the shopping wheel because you can buy all sorts of unrelated, yet groovy things in one place, for lots of money, with free orange juice! She is flying in the face of recieved consumer wisdom by ignoring price points and demand, and instead creating her own demand with unique products, in a cozy space full of love. This is catnip to a high end market that values location, authenticity and exclusivity. But I don't think she is all that groundbreaking. She is, however, part of a definite trend at the luxury level of the market. Certain stores have been creating this sort of, lets call it, delightful experience for years, not just Colette, and Corso Como. And her claim that its no longer about jeans, but about t-shirts, well, any kid on the street of New York, Tokyo, or London could tell you that.
After the jump: Some other stores that give good experience.
1)Takashimaya- I would argue that Takashimaya is one of the originators of experience shopping. Their store in Manhattan is all about the senses, and the authentic, from the amazing flowers in the front, to the unbelievable gift and toy section, to the rare cosmetics. Everything at Takashimaya seems presented to you for your wonder, whether it is a tiny chess set or a perfect pair of gloves.
2) Earnest Sewn- I recently bought a stupid expensive pair of jeans that don't even fit me that well. Ok, they are really soft and comfortable. And I wear them a lot. But the day I got them, I walked out of the store in love. I had gone to the Earnest Sewn store in the Meatpacking District. From the moment I walked in to the old fashioned looking store, to the moment I walked out, I enjoyed tremendous attention and service, and I was not the only one there. They don't just sell jeans either, but cool books, vintage leather belts, and all sorts of cool things. It felt pretty authentic, as a shopping experience. And they got me to part with some $.
3) Anthropologie- Ok, so no free orange juice. But lots of expenisive T-shirts and bizarre knick knacks, like door knobs. But not that high end.
4) Every single boutique in the East Village
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Don't forget the communal table at Martin+Osa. A mall store! But really inspired by Colette.