Future of retail: five examples of storytelling done right
Storytelling is a recurrent topic in the world of retail,
especially when it comes to fashion. How to define the identity of your
store or brand? How to present your store or brand in a way that matches
its identity? How to tell an authentic story that consumers will identify
with?
Trendwatchers Jan Agerink and Birgit Maas, from Dutch
forecasting company Buro Jantrendman, answered these questions at the
fashion trade fair Modefabriek, held in Amsterdam. Buro Jantrendman works
with a number of prominent companies, including Hugo Boss and Fred de la
Bretoniere. During their lecture, the duo highlighted several businesses
which are nailing the art of storytelling. FashionUnited selected the five
most interesting examples.
Patagonia
Patagonia is an American
outdoor brand founded in 1973. Best known for its commitment to
sustainability and the environment, the company prides itself in the
quality of its products. A quick Internet search reveals merchants selling
second hand Patagonia shirts from the brand’s early days, still in good
condition.
Agerink and Maas pointed out that quality and
sustainability are two messages that go hand in hand: high quality clothing
lasts a long time, which leads consumers to buy less. In a world dominated
by consumerism, that is a statement in itself, according to the
trendwatchers.
The duo also praised Patagonia’s repair truck, which
the brand drove across the United States to help its customers to repair
their Patagonia pieces. The advertising campaign featured consumers talking
about the sentimental value those items had for them. Is there a better way
to advertise your product than having clients say how much it means to
them?
Story New
York
”We have the point of view of a magazine, change like a gallery
and sell things like a store” — this is how American retailer Story
describes itself. Buro Jan Trendman mentioned Story as an example of
innovative retail, as each visit to this shop in the heart of Manhattan
offers a different experience.
Every few months, Story shuts its
doors and goes through a complete renovation for a week, so everything
looks different when it reopens. Both the collections and the interiors
always follow a theme, which can vary from “love” to “disrupt” or “have
fun”. The product offering also changes according to the theme: Story can
offer lingerie and candles one time, and high tech gadgets at another time.
You never know what you will find there.
Since its launch in 2011,
Story has featured dozens of themes. The store, founded by Rachel
Shechtman, often partners up with other brands, which can sponsor a theme
or pay for its products to be featured. Shechtman organizes special events
where companies can pitch themselves to work together with her on the next
theme.
Freitag
Founded in 1993 by brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag,
this Swiss brand makes handbags from truck tarpaulin. Each bag is unique,
due to the discoloration and damage suffered by the material over the
years.
Five years ago, the brothers came up with the idea to make
work pants for their employees which would be completely sustainable,
degradable and fair trade. However, producing such pants proved to be more
complicated than they thought. The search for suitable materials and
suppliers was depicted in a mini-documentary, which shows the duo roaming
through French farms and Italian factories. You can watch the trailer
below.
Everlane
Founded in 2010 in California, Everlane offers
high-quality basics for an affordable price. It is one of the first
companies to be completely transparent about its production process. For
example, the brand is transparent about its pricing, revealing how the
price of each product has been determined. Material costs, workforce costs,
taxes… Everything is listed on their website. The company also publishes
videos and photos of their daily work and the work of their suppliers.
Everlane also organizes visits to its factories, so clients can see how
products are made.
Rapha
Rapha is a bicycle retailer founded in London in
2004, which has grown to be an international company with shops in four
continents. Rapha calls itself a community and its stores are named
“clubhouses”. Clubhouses sell not only bikes, but also clothing and
accessories. In addition, the space features a café, so that shoppers can
enjoy a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Bike aficionados can also take part
in Rapha’s subscription plan, which grants them exclusive access to events
and Rapha merchandise.
This article was originally published in
Dutch at FashionUnited.nl. Translated by Marjorie Van Elven
Images:
Freitag Facebook, Everlane website