Browns CEO explains launch of first brick-and-mortar in 20 years

Brick-and-mortar retail stores aren’t history just yet. London’s luxury department store Browns, backed by e-tailer Farfetch, has added a new address in Shoreditch, East London – its first brick-and-mortar store in 20 years. The store called Browns East features new retail concepts that incorporate augmented shopping experiences as well as semi-permanent, pop-up retail models.

Browns’ CEO Holli Rogers tells Vivian Chen how innovation revives brick-and-mortar retail:

It’s been 20 years since Browns’ last brick-and-mortar store. What motivated you to open a new one, and why now?

Browns has always been this incredibly revolutionary force, and has pushed the boundaries with product from the time we first opened our doors in 1970. We’ve never been afraid to do things differently, and we’ve always ensured that we change and evolve with our customers to offer them the most incredible in-store experiences. So it makes sense that we continue this legacy across all of our touch points, both online and offline. In creating the overall Browns Nomad concept and opening Browns East, we’ve gone back to our roots. This new store offers a new view on what retail looks like, so it really is a true expression of our pioneering spirit.

How has changing customer behaviour influenced the concept of Browns East?

Customer behaviour is changing, there’s no doubt about that. We’ve been looking at the retail environment generally – examining the fashion fatigue that consumers seem to be experiencing, and the reasons why. We’ve incorporated all our learning into Browns East and we’ll continue to listen to our customers’ feedback and to let that tell all that we do.

What’s clear is that it’s not the only efficiency that will drive retail forward. You need to engage the consumer in a different way than we’ve seen previously. Browns East offers customers a completely different experience – it’s a truly sensory experience and it’s very playful. Coupled with this, we are innovating with technology which will make the shopping experience in Browns super convenient and efficient, but also, even more personal.

How do you think the new concept would appeal to the millennial generation of luxury customers, and still resonate with Browns’ existing clientele?

From the very beginning, inclusivity is something that’s been very important to me and to our business. Browns East is no exception – everyone is welcome. Everything at Browns East will be as personalised as it possibly can be – this is not a one size fits all experience.