Retail today is about more than just hanging clothes on a rack. That’s why Ken Giddon, president of Rothmans, the men’s store in New York’s Union Square, has embraced the pop-up concept.
Since the store relocated to its current location on 18th Street and Park Avenue South in 2012, Giddon has hosted pop-ups with a number of brands including Olive and Bette women’s wear, which now has a permanent space in the front of the store. The most recent pop-up is devoted to Troubadour, a two-year-old line of upscale leather goods targeted to the corporate male. The Troubadour shop, which celebrated its official opening with a cocktail party on Thursday night, will remain in the store until Dec. 15.
“Retail is all about theater and change,” Giddon said, “and being a platform more than just a retail store.”
Giddon said to achieve that goal, “we’re constantly on the lookout for exciting and interesting brands. It’s a way of providing service to the customer. And these guys offer unique and excellent product and are good guys.”
Troubadour was launched in the U.K. by Samuel Bail and Abel Samet and is carried at Harvey Nichols and other European stores. United Arrows has picked up the line as well as Richards and Wilkes Bashford, Samet said.
In addition to its core leather bags, wallets and billfolds, Troubadour has now expanded into fabric as well, allowing for a lower retail price. A leather weekender, for example, sells for $1,950, while the fabric version is $845.
“Our line is a nice fit with Rothmans,” Samet said, pointing to the racks of suits and sportswear in the store. “It’s a good place for us to sit.”
Giddon summed it up: “We feel our job is to bring in new things all the time. It’s part of what makes a specialty store special.”