Can REVOLVE Turn Heads With B&M ‘Social Club’ In LA?

There was a point not too long ago when online-only merchants were happy to thumb their noses at the stodgy paradigm of brick-and-mortar retail, but nowadays, even the chicest brands on either side of the divide know they can’t afford to miss out on any selling opportunity.

Instead of the nitty-gritty of omnichannel growth, online millennial apparel brand REVOLVE announced on Thursday (March 31) the launch of REVOLVE Social Club, a B&M storefront located on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Not content to just list its online items in a physical storefront, REVOLVE will use the Social Club space for scheduled private shopping sessions, occasional pop-up shops from emerging designers and “FOMO-inducing experiences,” like one-on-one appointments with celebrity stylists and private music events.

Michael Mente, cofounder and co-CEO of REVOLVE, explained that a physical storefront was a natural extension of what his company has already seen online.

“REVOLVE has dominated the online shopping experience for millennials for the past decade, and the REVOLVE Social Club is where we see retail going next,” Mente said in a statement. “The Social Club provides an unprecedented high-touch and personalized shopping experience for our most loyal customers. It leverages everything we know about her and puts her right in the center of the aspiring REVOLVE lifestyle.”

If nothing inside the store draws customers in, Mente and REVOLVE are hoping that the design of the storefront itself just might. The third floor of the three-story building — all of which are occupied by REVOLVE — boasts a 360-degree view of Hollywood and comes complete with “Instagrammable moments,” which Cofounder and Co-CEO Mike Karanikolas believes is a key philosophy for REVOLVE’s move into B&M retail.

“Millennial customers value experiences, intimate relationships and authenticity, and our data gives us a unique opportunity to provide that to our most valuable customers,” Karanikolas said in a statement.