The Convenience Store in 2010…just unmissable!
The Convenience Store, Dec 2009
One of my favourite streets in London is Golborne Road. I feel like travelling when I hang out there. Portuguese bakeries, Moroccan coffee shops, Rellik at the end of the journey, all the ingredients are there to make me feel far from my daily routine: a real break!
During one of my “Golborne tours” I stopped at The Convenience Store and discovered a shop that will soon become my convenience spot!
The owner and “shopkeeper”, Andrew is a real character and knowing him just makes you want to come back more often, why not every weekend.
His store is unique as it is focusing on selected, limited pieces, genuine styles and designs that have been handpicked with taste and thoughts.
The location might seem a bit strange when you think of Browns Focus, Dover Street Market but it underlines the original view of the owner on fashion and what it should be about. Indeed, you visit The Convenience Store because you heard about it or you know it already. In a word the customer is proactive which makes the relationship stronger and richer. Everything is about personal contact and word of mouth. The clothes on the rags are to reveal and illustrate concepts, far beyond renewing your wardrobe, you will get some food to wear and some food for thoughts…
2010 is already starting with good news: The Convenience Store will soon be at your fingertips with an edited selection of 30-40 pieces per month with some pieces to acquire through bidding.
So stay tuned on: www.theconveniencestorefashion.co.uk
Andrew from The Convenience Store
During one of my latest visit I sat down with Andrew the owner and founder of The Convenience Store for a short and convenient Q&A…
What is the concept behind The Convenience Store?
Andrew/ The Convenience Store is born from the fact that I was bored shopping in London, that I wanted to showcase design more than fashion. I think nowadays, everything is far too much focused on consumption, no creative brew anymore! Fashion is being solely designed for consumerism, very few are interested in the art, fun or creation of fashion anymore, there is a handful of designers perhaps.
I wanted to create a new and challenging shopping experience, a place where one can discover and be surprise.
How do you select designers?
Andrew/ Concept and creative direction is key, a unique fashion viewpoint. But also the balance of the store is important. Big hitters, graduates and labels in between are all relevant to the current (fashion) design landscape. I am after designers that push the boundaries, designers that can transform a contemporary or current vision into clothing, designers that challenge identity, culture, aesthetics, art, design, fashion and the list could go on and on!
What is your customer like?
Andrew/ My customers are intelligent, experienced with a general knowledge of design and aesthetics. She is definitely switched on and often very cool. The Convenience Store customer is not really a browser as she is focused on what she wants and knows what she likes. She has a very independent mindset. Perhaps clothes are one of her tools for communication. We have recently had a wave of musicians such as Skin from Skunk Anansie who bought a J Smith Esq. Leather Mohican and Lady Gaga left our humble tower block clutching a few bags including Gareth Pugh and Bruno Pieters. Luckily for me my customers are interesting and engaging, they don’t follow trends or suffer from indecision and they don’t crave for more generic product.
Online vs in-store?
Andrew/ Traditional retail businesses are really suffering. Today the shopping experience is not great, department stores play very safe and present a relatively passive lifestyle ideal (my customer has described them as boring). Independent stores in London are few and far between. There are too many labels out there leading to a confused market space. We have also managed to invent some kind of ‘Luxury mass market’. Fashion should be more exclusive but 50% cheaper and shoppers should be more aggressive in trying to source new desirable items.10 years ago stylish customers were still utilising the core values of a department store as well as a stand-alone boutique. Today, they are a click away from net-a-porter.com. If a store offers no retail theater experience, why should one bother travelling?
Online enables the offer to be edited, thanks to the browsing functionalities. It also provides an efficient service (next day delivery, 24 hour shopping, global market space).
Trend online shoppers have grasped the idea that the web is just an average in-store sale assistant or a 24 changing room – flash a card, wait for a day, try it on, if it doesn’t fit or not your colour, send it back!
The solution for retailers is to combine retail theater experience with their core values.
How do you see 2010 at The Convenience Store?
Andrew/We’re changing the way we work to be more in line with our customer. We have to offer more, but less of it, we will no longer work with collections in the same way as before. There is too much product out there so we need to consider editing and selecting a more refined way to match new consumer trends. Post recession will mean less instant purchasing and more considered shopping (that includes price-comparisons). Like the ‘keyword’ online research narrows a selection so will ‘shopkeepers’ do with their in-store offer. They will invest only in the specific demanded areas. The ‘new exclusivity’ tag will provide a need for a more aggressive shopping. It will hopefully bring creativity and excitement back to the market.
Currently, we do not follow the “on sale” trend, I just mark down items when I have seen them for too long or just think that they are overpriced.
The new online Convenience Store will accept offers on selected items (like the fox tail Maison Martin Margiela gilet or the AW08 Rick Owens Runway leather jacket, both collectors items and future heirlooms) or perhaps a part will be some exchange deals? Season collections are disappearing and afterall who really cares? Fashion will become more and more sustainable. To be honest nobody can sell as quickly as we are encouraged to buy without huge discounts.
The key for The Convenience Store in 2010 is ‘bespoke’; bespoke ideas, bespoke clothing and a bespoke customer base. My goal for the future is a store that is totally independent.
Rick Owens at TCS