More than just a shop

With so many shops to choose from and so many products out there how does one choose where to go or what to buy? Yes, we can be swayed and influenced by large scale marketing and advertising campaigns, however now I think the times are changing and even boutiques without large advertising budgets are attracting the consumers. How, you may ask? Through enhancing the whole experience for their customer. It is no longer just about shopping; the successful shops are moving beyond traditional boutiques and becoming so much more.

The Dressing Room on Manhattan’s Lower East Side would appear to be a fairly standard retail store, with a boutique on one level and vintage-clothing exchange on another. However, what sets it apart from the norm is the full bar on their ground floor level. If you visit this unique boutique on any given night, you’ll find regulars sipping drinks, listening to the occasional DJ set, catching a movie projected on a small screen and browsing through racks of clothes. This store creates a neighbourhood hangout for its clients, a place for people to sit and have a drink. Ultimately this is a clothing store with a difference and the sense of community associated with this store not only brings people in, but encourages them to stay and peruse the goods on offer.

This bar-shop concept store is just one example of a retailer getting creative with their space to attract traffic. Yes big department stores such as Debenhams in the UK have been providing consumers with a ‘one-stop-shop’ for many years, with café’s and even hairdressers located within their four walls. However, the small boutiques are offering something that even these big stores can’t: an atmosphere, an environment, an experience, and a destination.
Saturday’s in New York’s Soho district is a surf shop that serves coffee and beer in its back garden and my gran’s favourite small boutique in the North of England sells home furnishings and trinkets in the front of the store and features a quaint coffee shop (with the best cakes in town) in the back. Both stores cleverly guide customers through the goods on sale before they sit down to enjoy their refreshments.

In my opinion, personal service, a warm welcome and a chance to sit with friends, drink, shop, listen to music and relax will truly be the future of retail. People like to feel they belong to something and these intimate, bar/coffee-shop concept stores provide a haven for consumers to relax and enjoy.

We believe Kanchan Couture is no exception. We've organised many after hours events with a difference for our clients. My particular favourite was the fabulous henna and fashion fusion event we held in collaboration with SarasHenna (see picture above). With our regular champagne evenings and personal service, we hope all our consumers enjoy their experience with us and like to come back time and time again.

Right now we are taking bookings for free individual 30 minute viewing and styling appointments with Kanch for a new collection of ready to wear clothing we are launching. To thank our customers, we want to ensure each person is given the time and treatment we think they deserve, so book one of your personal sessions now.

Details:
17th, 18th, 19th May from 10am to 8pm

To book, e-mail kelly@kanchancouture.com or call 2117 1782

www.kanchancouture.com