Retail
Inspired by the time-honored ikat dyeing technique where dye penetrates unevenly and creates a blurred, hazy effect, the 18”x18” pillows in the collection feature a printed ikat design in double-sided, soft-sueded velvet with a concealed zipper. The pillows are available with or without a luxurious down-alternative vegan insert. All SmithHönig pillows are hand-sewn and made-to-order in the company’s Dalton, Ga. facility.
Consumers who wanted to shop in-store sometimes and online at other times forced retailers to become omnichannel, offering their wares through brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce sites. But omnichannel is not enough. Consumers increasingly want to shop in the “phygital world,” where technology speeds and improves the in-store browsing and buying experience.
A match-made-in-heaven partnership between Parker Heath and Ayara was born from a chance meeting at Las Vegas Market, where Parker was exhibiting to gain further exposure for his own brand, Par Ker Made. What blossomed was the Par Ker Made x Ayara luxury removable wallpaper collaboration.
Oliver Gal to Host “Start With Art” Expert Panel at The Point During 2023 Fall High Point Market
Online shopping and cheaper, faster shipping options have facilitated the rise of DTC brands, and with online shopping continuing to grow, it makes sense that DTC would grow, too.
In a survey conducted by consumer experience and insights firm WD Partners last year, more than 71% of respondents said they shop secondhand at least once a month. Some 11% do so daily. (I’m thinking most of those folks are collectors or resellers themselves; some might be people with shopping addictions.) But another 26% shop secondhand weekly and 33% do so monthly. Their reasons vary: Some like the fun of seeking out “treasures.” Others want to save money and still others like the sustainability of buying used items or, in the parlance of auto dealers, preowned products.
Wanting to create a store that draws local shoppers back again and again as they refresh their decor or pop in to find a special gift, interior designer Shaolin Low has opened Woven by Shaolin in Kailua, Hawaii.
We’re also seeing a generational shift in how people view shopping and buying. Why is this happening? Because the older generations were accumulators and the younger generations, well, not so much. we have a generation of accumulators shedding their belongings and not restocking. And we have younger generations who are less interested in shopping as sport and more worried about the environmental impact of their purchases. Oh, and they have relatively fewer financial resources than some previous generations at the same point in their lives.
For designers entertaining the idea of opening their own store, Christopher Kennedy offers some sage advice. “Running a design firm, sometimes you are your own best customer,” he said. “Owning a retail store is really useful when you need to pick up some accessories last minute to art a photoshoot. You really need the same level of dedication to both [your firm and store] to maintain a cohesive brand. And you can get burned out trying to do it all.” Kennedy admitted that he was too hands-off with the retail side of the business, focusing heavily on design clients. He took some time to step back and reevaluate how he could best serve his clients and community. The result is a new, tailored showroom, tucked into a business center in downtown Palm Springs. It doesn’t have the same tourist foot traffic as the previous space, but it’s calm, crisp, and feels like home.
With a passion for history and the stories that objects can tell, Devika Kanadé has…