Is Existential Retail the Next Wave in Fashion?

LONDON — Forget experiential retail: One brand is now promoting existential retail. The Korea-based retail brand Harlan + Holden is taking consumption to a philosophical plane by removing familiar elements from the shop floor and offering customers the time and space to think — and live in the now. The brand’s new flagship store, which will span 2,260 square feet, is set to open in the spring at Lotte World Mall in Seoul. It wants to be “a retreat” from the busy shopping mall atmosphere; conjure a Zen, meditative air, and put the focus on mindfulness and saving time. There will be no cash desks on the shop floor, or assistants processing payments. Instead, customers will be able to swipe their credit cards in machines to pay. The store is also promising a maximum of three minutes to wrap a customer’s purchase from the moment their card is swiped. In keeping with its efficiency ethos, the new shop is located in a tier-one location. Harlan + Holden said it doesn’t want its customers making trips to any special destinations because that would take too much time. Founded in 2015 in Manila, The Philippines, by Emmanuel Pineda, the brand is headquartered in Seoul and offers women’s clothing, with

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

from WWDWWD https://ift.tt/2TQ9ykC