STORE WARS: Nous A Paris Boutique IRL Grand Opening Good Vibes
Retail Apocalypse
“Retail Apocalypse” is real, major multinational retailers and local niche boutiques are faced with many challenges causing many to close up shop. Business Insider recently compiled a 2017 list of 6,403 store closures. With digital bringing on more disruption through the use of data to get closer to the consumer and increased competition from online retailers as well as brands going direct-to-consumer the only way physical stores have a chance of survival are those offering customers better IRL experiences, varied quality selections, personalization, and authenticity. Digital is now the source of inspiration for reinventing the role of the store and the customer experience. “We created this project because we realized it was the only way to carry on working in a such inspiring environment,”Nous takes a more lifestyle-first approach and carries almost everything except for traditional ready-to-wear and women’s beauty products.Think sunglasses, tech products by Sony and Leica, men’s accessories and watches, sneakers, books, skateboard decks and men’s streetwear.
One cool brick and mortar Paris boutique that recently opened their doors for business to bring that real and personal experience is Nous, which means “we” or “us” in French, also means “intelligence” in English. The shop is located at 48 Rue Cambon, near Chanel’s iconic store and just steps away from Colette’s former location. The interior design, created by local practice Atelier Ha, is understated and makes clever use of the store’s concrete shell by exposing the entire back wall. A whitewashed ceiling, adorned by diagonally placed sleek light fixtures, and flooring of polished concrete frame the sparsely furnished setting. Marvin Dein, co-founder of Nous, Paris’ fly new retail emporium, describes it thus: “It’s a concept store, but it’s not Colette 2.0…streetwear and street culture with high tech, done in a luxury style.” IRL Vibes:
