Browns

Ask Alison: How Browns Brook Street has recast itself as the new luxury omni-flagship



Browns Brook Street The Focus

There’s a new luxury retail destination in town and it’s a storied Mayfair townhouse that features a heady mix of culture, community and the latest personalised tech-led shopping services. DRG retail editor, ALISON FARRINGTON reports…

Apart from the appealing fact that visiting an actual store is somewhat of a novelty as we emerge post-pandemic, we are about to enter a new era of phygital retail. Phygital 2.0 plays to the strengths of being inside a physical boutique environment – all the trappings of tangible and joyous purchases plus social interaction – while having frictionless digital retail services at your fingertips.

Launching on 12 April, at a reinvented flagship location, Browns Brook Street is the manifestation of owner, Farfetch’s visionary ‘Store of the Future’ omnichannel strategy that we first heard about in 2017. (more…)



Retail roundup: beyond transaction



Selfridges Pangaia Corner Shop 2021

I can’t wait to go to shops. While lockdown news has focused on the e-commerce successes, the UK high street is doubling down on getting punters back through the doors. For me, shopping is not only about buying, but also about socialising and seeing what’s new. The best stores have always been more than transactional destinations; from Topshop, Oxford Circus (R.I.P) to Dover Street Market, they’re discovery zones and temples of worship to community and culture. (more…)



The DRG retail index: John Lewis & Partners, M&S, Jigsaw, Zara X Giorgia Tordini, Reformation



Zara fall 2018 trends Giorgia Tordini

Here’s ALISON FARRINGTON’S latest monthly retail round up, celebrating experimentalism and innovation on the high street. We are more than ready for autumn/winter collections newness, so it’s preview time for John Lewis & Partners, M&S, Jigsaw, and Zara’s latest Studio Collection. Meanwhile there’s a late summer high-low fashion fix in-store from Reformation’s relaunch in the UK, courtesy of Browns.
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THE DRG STYLE INDEX: The Cords & Co, Farfetch, MAC, Re/Done, Maison Trudon and more!



Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands and industry stories currently buzzing on my radar…


1. THE CORDS AND CO

The Cords & Co classic premium corduroy brand
In a season which is going to see corduroy take centre stage, it’s a good time to launch a premium brand called The Cords & Co. The Stockholm-based brand launched last week, opening stores in six cities simultaneously. The product is great – very simple styles in good colours. (more…)