Is the way forward for retail unusual?
Shops in the heart of the desert and shops where you make your own bag could lead the way for retail, which is less about luxury and theater and more about memorable experiences
Physical retail has had a huge hit this year as Covid-19 restrictions take hold for many brands significantly less. Brick and mortar stores were already against it, and the pandemic has only accelerated these problems by forcing consumers to rely more on e-commerce.
It's likely that the main roads to Covid will look very different everywhere, and there are already signs that brands are changing direction – for example, John Lewis recently announced plans to build rental apartments in its locations that will be full from the start. Annual loss.
But among the sights of shuttered shops and gritty profit news, some brands have managed to get creative. At the beginning of this year, Freitag started his Sweat Yourself Shop – a “microfactory” in which people can assemble their own bags from leftover tarpaulin material from the nearby Zurich plant. Customers picked a color from a hanging rainbow fabric conveyor belt, helped cut the pattern, and then saw it sewn in front of them.
Top picture: Managers Ross and Carol in front of the Tjukayirla Roadhouse, the first physical location where Vollebak stored his clothes; Above: Sweat Yourself shop on Fridays
Apparel brand Vollebak took an even more unusual approach, announcing that their products would be stored in physical stores for the first time, but with a catch – they would all be in some of the hardest-to-reach locations in the world. Remote Store One, as it is called, is located in Australia's Great Victoria Desert in the Tjukayirla Roadhouse. To get there, you need to drive 1,126 km on an outback freeway that is largely free of other drivers. A vehicle cemetery in front of the rest house speaks for the inhospitable nature of the area. To make it more complex, Western Australia is off-limits and a permit to visit is required for the Aboriginal country where the store is located.