San Francisco’s Re:store store aims to change the way we shop

Michael Arnold

14th Aug 2019

San Francisco-based retail space and collaboration hub Re:store has been launched to help customers discover “Insta-famous” products into a tangible and immersive experience.

By bringing niche brands closer to their customers and fostering community-based innovation, the Sequoia-backed startup is an attempt to change not just how we shop, but how we engage with brands, ideas, and the people inspiring them.

“Creating an authentic connection between customers and brands is a fundamental building block of a dynamic shopping experience,” said creative entrepreneur Selene Cruz. “Re:store is poised to make scroll-to-stroll the new normal.”

Partnering with a team of experienced curators, including former Refinery29 senior fashion market editor Alyssa Coscarelli and influencer “it girl” Vivid Wu, Re:store hand-picked 70 coveted direct-to-consumer brands as its debut partners, leaving more than 2000 other labels on the waitlist for future consideration. Among those featured at launch were CFDA award winner Mansur Gavriel, sustainability-minded fashion icon Sezane, and cult brand & Other Stories, with design ateliers in Paris, Stockholm and LA.

Each startup brand receives its own dedicated area within the three-level 4200sqft space, located on the same San Francisco retail block as Fendi and Hermes, and fashion-meets-tech brands Warby Parker, Rent the Runway and Cuyana. Re:store’s interior was designed by Robert Storey of Storey Studio (Nike, Everlane, Gentle Monster) to reflect a shifting colors Cape, referencing San Francisco’s vibrant culture and “dreamy sky”.

Re:store is not designed for the passive shopper; it’s a community space where customers can interact personally with brand leaders and founders through services such as feminist-focused Lacquerbar manicure pop-in, or entrepreneurial creativity installations like the Living Wall – a fashionable take on a Post-it ideation process. 

Re:store also seamlessly connects a digital mindset with the analog world. Through technology touchpoints, customers can communicate directly with brands, attaining deeper knowledge about their favorite items while sharing insights that can influence future products.