Merchandising! Merchandising! Merchandising!
On Thursday February, 9 I had the opportunity to head over to the Ron
Robinson flagship store at the opening for this month's art installation
titled "Love and Other things"
I was
greeted by a group of friendly faces as I walked into the store and met Ron
Robinson who is the President of Fred Segal on Melrose and two of his own
stores: the flagship just off 3rd street promenade and another location on
Melrose. He founded his own two stores after working for the famous L.A. retailer
Fred Segal on Melrose and eventually taking over the store. The Santa Monica store
doesn't look very big from the outside with one small window display facing the
street but, after I got inside I realized it was much bigger than it seems!
Robinson gave me a tour of the store himself after I told him I had never been
before and, started off by excitedly telling me about the store's gallery
initiative to feature different original art installations that represent the
store's current theme. This month's was all about Valentine's Day of course and
the artists were there as well to describe their art.
Robinson also invites
some select designers and brands to the store for these events so guests can
get to know the new products that are being featured in the store. He started
off by showing me their home section which had everything from decorative
trinkets to full glassware sets.
These desk plates
were some of my favorites!
Then we headed
over to his beauty section where he introduced me to the designer for La Lumen
which, she told me, means light in Latin. It is a new jewelry brand that
focuses on magnetic jewelry and of course had some designs inspired by love for
the holiday.
He also
showed me their custom fragrance collection. My favorite was this scent called
Pearl
which he excitedly
told me that he had created himself. He described the perfume saying it was
meant to represent sitting on the patio somewhere in Los Angeles relaxing and
watching the sunset wearing a black t-shirt and a strand of pearls. The
perfume, and the store definitely captured the old Hollywood feel he
described.
We then moved on
to the Women's wear section where he showed me a new line of hats they had just
introduced designed by the same woman who created Lady Gaga's signature pink
hat.
Collections like
these with unique stories somehow tied to Los Angeles dotted the store giving
the customer endless opportunities for discovery.
Another brand that was
featured in the store was Sugar t-shirts. They were launching their capsule
collection exclusively for Ron Robinson which was also created around the
Valentine's Day theme.You can read more about the brand in my article here.
Another brand that was
featured in the store was Sugar t-shirts. They were launching their capsule
collection exclusively for Ron Robinson which was also created around the
Valentine's Day theme.You can read more about the brand in my article here.
We also passed by the accessories section which Robinson proudly
told me was the only brick and mortar location to carry the new Hadid eyewear
line designed by the Hadid sisters which was a big hit among guests at the party. 
The kids section is a fun bright space that is filled with a range
of designers from major brands such as Stella McCartney to smaller brands that
Robinson has found himself. As we ended our tour the store had begun to fill
up and Robinson was busy greeting guests and friends.
I also got the
chance to talk with one of the sales reps in the store who told me that
Robinson took a lot of care and time in choosing the products he showcased in
the store and how to best display them. Merchandising is very important to this
store and the carefully curated collections provide a seamless experience for
the customer.
The art gallery
openings are not the only events the store holds either. They also hold free
fitness classes hosted by different trainers from the LA area and I'm sure
their new cafe will provide another venue for interesting community
events.
While the store is
small and offers a limited selection of high priced products in each section it
is still very popular and draws customers from all over the Los Angeles area as
well as visitors from around the world. The local merchandising and clear theme
of the store are appealing to shoppers and especially young customers because, while
it may not provide the most budget friendly options it is always on trend and
in tune with the local atmosphere. One reason for this could be that while
younger customers have watched malls empty out in their neighborhoods they have
become more and more interested in local boutiques that can provide a more
focused experience for their tastes. Supporting local businesses has become a
bigger trend recently and young customers especially enjoy finding fun and
familiar places to hang out. I can't wait to see what is next from the fun boutique! 
