New York, NY, February 5, 2024 – After carving a niche in the digital realm for five years, Ana Luisa, the direct-to-consumer jewelry brand, has embraced the physical world with the opening of its inaugural 700-square-foot store at 29 Spring Street in SoHo, New York.
“SoHo felt like a no-brainer home for our first-ever brick-and-mortar location. If you look at the data of our customer base, much of our community lives in the neighborhoods surrounding this area, and SoHo is their go-to spot for shopping,” stated Adam Bohbot, Co-Founder of Ana Luisa.
Stepping beyond the store’s vibrant red facade, visitors encounter innovative features such as a ball pit rewarding purchasers with complimentary gifts, styling vanities for product trials and style consultations, a “ring for bling” phone booth offering style advice, and numerous photo opportunities.
Ana Luisa envisions this brick-and-mortar space as more than just a retail outlet; it’s positioned as a community hub for shoppers, hosting in-store events and activations with influencers and loyalty program members.
Future plans involve events centered around permanent jewelry offerings, engraving, and in-store piercings, often in collaboration with external partners to drive foot traffic.
The brand aims to gather six to nine months of data to comprehend its retail model thoroughly, informing expansion decisions based on customer feedback and performance metrics. Adam Bohbot emphasized, “Our stores are more than just selling points; they’re a canvas to narrate the Ana Luisa story.”
This venture into physical retail will fuel the brand’s growth plans, including the introduction of new lines featuring solid gold jewelry and lab-grown diamonds. Ana Luisa adopts a comprehensive omnichannel growth strategy, encompassing pop-up shops, collaborations with fashion retailers, and exploration of various online marketplaces.
Industry experts applaud this cautious approach to retail expansion. Patrick Rafferty, CEO and Co-founder of UserHub, and a former player in the commercial real estate space, commented, “Retailers who successfully scale to multi-store operations have a well-defined perspective on value attributable to store location.”
Choosing a retail space in the coveted SoHo shopping district was undoubtedly a significant investment. Manhattan’s retail rents have surged by 7.8% in Q3 2023, with SoHo standing out as one of the most expensive locales. However, experts like Rebekah Kondrat, Managing Partner at Rekon Retail, affirm SoHo’s enduring appeal as a haven for emerging and established brands alike, providing both foot traffic and brand cachet.
