For retailers, a retail flagship is an opportunity to make a big statement by creating a unique and elevated brand experience – one not found in the rest of their chain. Often the largest store in the chain and located in a prominent location, it can offer something unique, whether it be the full line of merchandise, exclusive merchandise or a more upscale merchandise mix. When well-conceived, spectacular design, engaging customer experience and innovation meet to bring the brand to life in a relevant and resonating way for the customer: think Prada in Soho and Saks on Fifth Ave in New York or Burberry on Regent St. in London – all of which integrate innovative features and or product unique to their locations.
Recently, Roots opened a new retail flagship on prime Bloor St. in Toronto, only half a block from their previous location. This was an opportunity to create something special to sit alongside the other retail flagships. However, this new Roots store is a disappointment. Here, essentially in the birthplace of Roots and the premier shopping street in the country, this should have been the ultimate flagship for the iconic and quintessentially Canadian chain. Sure, it’s a beautifully designed store, with a grand double-volume, soaring ceiling and dramatic staircase, mixed with the kind of cottage-inspired elements such as a retro wood stove that you might expect but it misses the mark.
At a mere 6,500 sq. ft. the store is not only less than half the size of the previous two storey location, but it also houses a more limited merchandise mix probably on par with some of the much smaller mall locations. Understandably, with the prohibitive high rents on Bloor St. – that are chasing away the likes of Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn it might make sense to take a smaller footprint, however the new space seems vacuous – so much so, that the merchandise takes a backseat to space and architecture. There is no real innovation here, nor is there anything truly unique or engaging to immerse the customer in the brand. It’s just simply a pleasant store. It could have been so much more.
