Korean Eyewear Brand’s First U.S. Store Employs Uncommon Merchandising Strategy

A three-in-one layout attempts to retain the “element of surprise.”

Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster has taken a different tack on retail store design with its first U.S. shop, as The New York Times explains. The article details how the New York City store consists of three distinct parts, including a diamond-shaped area that displays 400 frames in backlit cubbies. Shop designer Rafael de Cardenas describes the layout as one that fosters an “almost intellectual approach to shopping … We wanted to retain this element of surprise and the ‘happening upon’ certain things, so a large portion of the store is concealed. You have to walk through it to experience the cool moments.”

Read more at The New York Times