Demanding times demand new thinking in retail, and brands are rising to the challenge posed by inflation, the pandemic and powerful demographic shifts.
Reflecting the crisis burnout millions are feeling and playing to a desire to escape, Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) this week will test a new store concept called The Getaway designed to convey a sense of getting away from it all with merchandise and store experience adding to the vibe.
In a Monday (Aug. 8) press release, A&F said the concept aims to capture the feeling of preparing for a long and stylish weekend with merchandise curated to appeal primarily to millennials and the “Zillennial” — which A&F Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing Carey Krug called “a word we made up” combining millennials and Gen Z shoppers and adding that “someone in their mid-20s is our sweet spot.”
Krug said, “We want to make every day feel like the start of a long weekend and offer an assortment that meets those needs.”
Opening first in Milan, Italy’s Il Centro Shopping Center and the Del Amo Fashion Center in Los Angeles, California, the 4,500 square-foot spaces carry men’s and women’s clothing and will continue to be branded as Abercrombie & Fitch stores.
The company said those locations were chosen where A&F already has a “highly penetrated digital experience” and that if successful, other Getaway-themed stores will be added.
As for the in-store experience, A&F Group Vice President and head of creative Joanna Ewing said, “we translated our customers’ mindset into a real-world immersive experience. Their love for our denim manifested in a dedicated denim studio. The fitting rooms have been optimized with customizable lighting and chic design elements. Their affinity for travel is captured in the store’s hotel lobby-like vibe, complete with a check-in desk.”
“The entire design of these new stores is the unique getaway mindset of our customers brought to life in a way that communicates elevated ease, which is exactly what Abercrombie represents,” Ewing said.
Curated Store Concepts Gain Ground
Curated stores are trending as more retailers reshape store concepts to weather a nasty mix of inflation, lingering disease fears and other disruptions keeping the economy on the ropes.
See also: Macy’s Adding Small-Format Market By Macy’s, Backstage Locations in Fall
In late July, Macy’s introduced two new small footprint concepts for its stores under its Polaris strategy announced in 2020 and meant to return the Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury brands to profitability with digital initiatives and better merchandise curation.
Macy’s is opening four new locations that include “Market by Macy’s,” a smaller store that offers customers a curated assortment of fashion trends, as well as a dual Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage off-price location, per a press release.
Macy’s Chief Stores Officer Marc Mastronardi said, “as customer preferences and buying behaviors change, we continue to evolve to deliver the experience our customers expect. As exciting brand extensions, Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage each offer unique shopping experiences — one celebrates discovery and convenience, while the other appeals to the customer who loves the thrill of the hunt for a great value.”
Legacy retailers embracing digital and more curated store concepts is only set to increase. In an interview with PYMNTS’ Karen Webster, JCPenney Chief Digital and Transformation Officer Katie Mullen said, “some of the things that we are experiencing right now, I think, are the product of many years of transition.”
“That’s the idea that customers walk around physical stores with their phone open, with an app open, and they’re looking at a listing on their app or on mobile website at the same time as they’re looking at physical product,” Mullen said.
Read: JCPenney Gets Extreme Makeover With Assist From Shoppers’ Smartphones
These new concepts share a digital leaning as more consumers begin shopping journeys online and continue via smartphone once inside physical stores. U.S. retailers enjoy the highest frictionless shopping experiences of any of the six nations studied in The 2022 Global Digital Shopping Playbook series, a PYMNTS and Cybersource collaboration, with an average 148 score on the index.
However, with an index score of just 75.5. in brick-and-mortar locations, efforts by U.S. retailers to cross-pollinate these channels and improve experience are at the heart of new store layouts.
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