Breaking out of the sea of sameness in brick-and-mortar, Showfields is reshaping the mold on the traditional retail model. Built around predominantly digitally native or DTC brands, Showfields is creating a pay-to-play platform to create visibility in prominent markets and empower the future of retail brands.
The brand has reconceived retail through what they call C-Commerce. A strategy which puts the consumer at the center of curation, content, commerce, convenience, and connection. Their philosophy is “to challenge the retail status quo and reimagine the shopping experience through the eyes of the customer using immersive experiences, great service, and discovery.”
The first Showfields, dubbed “The Most Interesting Store in The World,” opened on Bond Street in New York in 2019. The 14,000 square foot, four story flagship store has hosted hundreds of brands across dozens of different categories since its inception.
“SHOWFIELDS is designed to bridge the gap between discovery and physical experience, representing a new model and the future of brick-and-mortar retail.”
In-Store in Action
Providing a curated, artful, and elevated pop-up experience, Showfields utilizes in-store activations, events, email marketing, and PR to push brand awareness beyond the shelf. Combine that with private parties and influencer events, the experience is intended not just to be one you want to experience but one that will leave you talking about.
While the innovative retail concept seems like a singularly fulfilling retailer experience, it truly is a win, win for its house of featured brands. Offering access to customer behavior, store analytics, and sales data, it’s another level of retail transparency that commissions commitment.
At Showfields, brands reportedly pay a monthly membership fee in the range of $5-15K and keep all sales and revenue. The pay-to-play retail model isn’t entirely new though. Not long-ago ground-breaking retailers like Story and B8ta paved the way for a model that elevated brand interest and exposure. While the direction for those brands may have shifted or snuffed, there’s something to be said for creating a retail experience that puts discovery at the top of the experience matrix.
“We want to create the most interesting store in the world. A space filled with wonder that connects a curious and creative community to the brands and experiences reshaping our world.”
The Building Blocks
The retail incubator has since expanded to South Beach, Miami and most recently Century City, Los Angeles. Now, Showfields prepares for Williamsburg with its House of Showfields concept, a six-room home with each of the rooms displaying room-specific products.
Part retail, part art, part community, and full innovation, Showfields is enabling brands to create a direct, physical relationship with its future consumers. Creating an environment that lets brand learn and earn is an appealing model for brands that are not only taking the leap from clicks to bricks, but those burgeoning brands who are trying to learn more about their consumers.
Curious to read more about innovative retail developments, check out our article Community Retail: The Lifestyle Center 2.0. We explore the eco-friendly retail campus Camp which brings together food, fashion, community, art, and music in a harmonious way.
