Seen in Paris
The world-famous Merci concept store, nestled between République and Bastille in Paris, recently unveiled an apartment in the fifth arrondissement of the city, dubbed La Seconde Résidence. The location is geared towards interaction, knowledge transferral and experimentation, and welcomes artists, collaborators, suppliers and loyal customers alike. The apartment will also be used to test out products before they go on the market, but also for photo shoots and to produce social media content
What to think of it?
While apparently insignificant, this initiative by Merci actually points the way to new opportunities for the retail world. Why should retailers only express themselves physically through their stores? Rather than always trying to diversify their offerings or revamp their points of sale, could they not create “alternative locations” that stand apart in terms of their nature and location, to better express their values and their perspective on the world? The venture is all the more apposite given the appetite consumers always have for new experiences…
This is the objective Merci is pursuing here with a flat set up some distance away from its original address, allowing the brand to overhaul its image and thus reshape its relationship with customers. Much like the brands that offer their customers the opportunity to visit their production sites (which is always a positive experience), retailers could invite theirs to come and see their products “out in the wild”. Because consumers are not solely interested in the origin of products and the know-how of brands. They also want to know how to use them.
Summing up
Nona Source, the online resale platform for deadstock fabric produced by the LVMH group’s luxury labels, organised a clearance sale for students on 9-11 December at the sustainable fashion incubator La Caserne, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. All fabrics were sold at a 90% discount (based on the original price of the materials)
En bref
In Paris’s Forum des Halles, a clothing collection counter encourages visitors to drop off fashion items they no longer wear in exchange for vouchers that can be spent in the shopping centre’s various stores
En bref
Netflix will soon be selling merchandise derived from several of its series via Walmart, which will be launching a special platform for the purpose. Netflix is also planning to open a store in Japan next year.
Word of the month
Hallyu: A term that translates literally as “Korean wave”.
As a consequence of the success of the film “Parasite”, the series “Squid Game” and various pop groups such as BTS and Blackpink, Korean culture has never been so popular. To make up for its lack of hard power, South Korea has been following a soft-power strategy over the last twenty years, which capitalises on its cultural sector and the influence of the latter on fashion (K-fashion), cosmetics (K-beauty) and cuisine (K-food). This is another way for a country to make its mark on the international scene.
