Textile Insight

50 • Textile Insight ~ January/February 2019 textileinsight.com OUT OF CONTEXT SPECIALTY RETAILERS thrive on differentia- tion. Whereas a department store has an outerwear section stocked with raincoats, a specialty store has a boutique selection of lightweight rain jackets, and breathable rain jackets and pants, in addition to all kinds of add-on rain oriented products. The stories surrounding how these specialized items differ from their more pedestrian cousins are the foundation of the outdoor specialty trade. Shopping at a knowledgeable dealer means you're going to get something unexpected or extra. In other words, specialty shops sell outdoor expertise just like Porsche sells cars, i.e. "you won't need this much performance but isn't it fun to know you own it?" The specialist provides the story and the customer creates the dream. Today's consumers are hungry for that special combination of wishful fulfillment. We devour online reviews searching for nuggets of precise satisfaction while seeking out cultural "influencers" to pre-select the best solutions to our first world problems. No longer are we content with owning mass-produced junk, the postmodern cultural ethos is for there to be positive value in the things we buy. The products should be recycled, or durable, or be locally made, or have provided a living wage for the maker. The point is consumers are less and less content with endless racks of mediocrity and more and more focused on environmental impact and personal responsibility. In a marked shift that reminds me of my grandmother's values, people now want less stuff with more meaning. Our relationship with our possessions is beginning to transcend price. Increasingly destination indoor brick and mortar retail shopping is being challenged by experiential "happenings" as consum- ers turn to fairs, festivals and parking lot flea markets to satisfy their desire for more exciting and meaningful consumption. "Sip and shop" is the new mantra, w i t h f a i r t r a d e coffee, craft wine or micro brewed beer providing the social lubricant in even the most banal locations. The pop-up atmosphere mixed with strolling adults nosing about vendor booths while enjoying their time out is evocative of festi- vals and street markets throughout history. The creativity, hard work and human touch involved with this kind of commerce feels real and immediate and satisfying. It's fun. Outdoor retailers should be royalty at these outdoor venues. They are knowledgeable, pragmatic and robust people that would fit right into any pop-up environment. They can advise customers about what kind of clothing will be comfortable and what sort of footwear reliable for any trip, anywhere. You know how people love to think, plan, talk about their travel plans and outdoor retailers are all about the idea of living out of a bag, pack or van. The specialty outdoor retailer has always been part hero, part educator and part cheerleader. They provide a structure and language for the outdoor world that would easily translate to outdoor markets. That brings us to the most important point, outdoor retailers like to talk to people and enthusiastically prescribe product. It's what they do. They are advocates for their customers whom they treat like family; and that is the trait that aligns them most closely with the street fair scene. You see, customers just want to be listened to, told the truth, and given the space to make their own decisions. After all, people buy interesting things after talking with interesting people who are interested in them. l Disclaimer: Mr. Gray has found that sipping and shopping leads to a lot of bathroom hopping. His opinions and tiny bladder are his own and the Publisher may not share them. Sip and Shop Retail by Kurt Gray Interesting Products Are Sold By Interesting People. Consumers are less and less content with endless racks of mediocrity and more and more focused on environmental impact and personal responsibility.

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