Interior of the NYON store in Nolita, New York.
Alexandra Martin
Over the weekend, New York or Nowhere (NYON), a popular lifestyle brand known for its quality, everyday clothing and accessories, opened its first permanent retail store in Manhattan’s Nolita, on the SoHo border, at 250 Lafayette Street. The store is in good company, between digital brands like Frank and Oak, Allbirds and Lively, and popular cafes Blank Street and La Colombe.
The self-funded brand has made its way to fame with numerous celebrity wearers, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate McKinnon, Hugh Jackman, and Tracy Morgan. And uniquely, in the world of digital native brands and fashion, it has achieved profitability every year since its founding. It runs its retail operations autonomously, and its founders were confident in the decision to open a store after a highly successful 6-month pop-up in late 2021 and early 2022, which generated almost as much revenue as online. “NYON has been profitable since day one, and our revenue has grown 100% year-over-year every year since its launch in 2020. Based on the pop-up revenue figures, and the increased traction and awareness between now and so we anticipate our permanent location will generate as much revenue as our online store in the future. And this is by design instead of spending on digital ads as a mechanism to acquire new customers, we have invested in our flagship,” shared co-founder Liz Eswein. and Quincy Moore.
Checkout counter and displays in the NYON store.
Alexandra Martin
Beyond the quality of her clothing, her popularity stems from her connection to New York City. A city that current residents love, long-time residents yearn for, and visitors revere. The brand represents more than a trend or a lifestyle; it reflects the relationship of the people with the renowned city. And the design of the store is intended to showcase that with a feel similar to a classic New York loft; Tin roofs, brick walls, rims taken from the iconic Greek coffee cup, a cash register colored like the Statue of Liberty, and green leather banquettes the color of Central Park benches.
“The [end] The result is a space inspired by New York City itself, but with unexpected colors and materials. To achieve this, we balanced cool and warm tones throughout the space. The color palette is inspired by the patina of the oldest buildings in the city, the shine it acquires when the sun begins to set. No matter where you are at that moment, you are surrounded by golden light,” said Elizabeth Bolognino, the store’s designer.
Though unique, NYON is one of many digital brands to open stores since the pandemic. In particular, the success of Leap, a third-party retail sourcing and operations company, is indicative of retail demand for smaller digital native brands. It has nearly 80 locations open, up from 55 in May this year. Clients include brands like Naadam, Third Love, Something Navy and Goodlife. Similarly, local New York maternity brand Emilia George recently opened its first retail store in Tribeca. And Hanky Panky, the famous women’s lingerie brand, opened its first stand-alone store in Manhattan’s West Village last August.
Accessories and product display in the NYON store.
Alexandra Martin
The advantage of a physical presence has become widely understood, even by the founders of NYON, who see this permanent store as a mechanism for customer acquisition. The idea of a store acting like a billboard and acquiring new shoppers is not new. Many brands have seen it and many academics have studied it. For example, a study looking at data from Warby Parker showed that approximately 80% of the customers in the store were new.
The location will be the first of many. The brand plans to open several stores in and around the five boroughs, with the next one likely to be in 2024. “We have our eye on Flatiron and creating a space focused primarily on our ongoing collaboration with the NBA and the New York Knicks. Retail is tricky, especially in New York, but we believe in a hybrid model and have never thought of NYON as a traditional DTC brand,” Eswein and Moore shared. So stay tuned for more from NYON and all the digital brands coming The stores are back and serving a vital purpose.
Source: news.google.com