The retail journal
A closer look
at retail.
Ideas and practical perspectives on where to open, what to build, and how to make a store work once the doors are open.
Market entry / 4 min read
Your first U.S. store starts before the lease.
Storage, staffing, stock and service can change which property makes sense. Bring them into the search before you fall for a storefront.
Read the article01 / Market entry & locations
Where to open, and why.
The decisions around a first address: the neighborhood, the format and how your global team works with a local partner.
Retail strategy / 3 min read
Pop-up, mid-term or flagship: which store fits the plan?
A short run, a longer trial and a flagship involve different commitments. Compare what you want to learn with what each format takes to operate.
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Market entry / 3 min read
A retail site walkthrough, beyond the shopfront.
Bring a carton, a floor plan and a few ordinary store routines into the property conversation.
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Market entry / 4 min read
Choosing a U.S. retail neighborhood from abroad.
A familiar district name is a starting point. The next step is understanding the streets your customer might actually use.
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Market entry / 4 min read
Approving a U.S. store across time zones.
A clear approval request can save everyone another meeting about a decision they thought had already been made.
Read the article02 / Design & identity
Designing around the brand and product.
From the first design brief to the materials people touch. Practical thinking about how a store looks, feels and works.
Design & delivery / 3 min read
What a store rendering leaves out.
The image can show the design beautifully. Product capacity, maintenance, fabrication and the work of running the store need a closer review.
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Brand identity / 4 min read
What makes a store feel like your brand?
The answer lives in materials, proportions, product presentation and the small things customers touch.
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Store design / 4 min read
Your assortment belongs in the floor plan.
A display can look perfectly proportioned and still leave half the collection waiting in the stockroom.
Read the articleStore design / 4 min read
Choose store materials you can maintain.
The sample looks beautiful. Now imagine fingerprints, a delivery trolley and the person cleaning up at the end of the day.
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Brand identity / 4 min read
How to brief a store design partner.
Bring the product, the decisions already made and the things you are still unsure about. The brief can take shape from there.
Read the article03 / Store life & operations
Running the store after opening.
Opening rehearsals, daily observations and the last day of a seasonal store. The details that deserve a place in the plan.
Retail operations / 4 min read
Rehearse a normal day before opening day.
The ribbon is optional. A team that can find a size, receive stock and handle an awkward question is essential.
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Retail operations / 4 min read
A seasonal store needs a closing plan.
The final customer leaves. Then the stock, fixtures, signage and unanswered requests all need somewhere to go.
Read the articleRetail operations / 4 min read
What to notice in your first month of retail.
Before drawing conclusions about a market, get closer to the ordinary questions and small points of friction inside the store.
Read the articleTalk with Retail by PopUp
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