Wouldn't this be considered as a supplier deciding to compete against their own retail partners? Hmmmm. It's a gorgeous place, but if I owned a shop that sold Umbra, I would be a little peeved if this opened up a few blocks away.
Click the link below and please ignore the little commercial in the beginning.
http://www.fashiontelevision.com/videos/?fr_story=67662d6fa487febf79d81b236e3be312d881ff80&rf=bm
If I was one of their...
neighbours and sold Umbra before I would stock up om more! It is one of the most common misunderstandings of the retail process that some form of exclusivity would actually help sales. In a case like this the opposite is true. The flag-ship-store does not only generates attention it also makes the whole product line more visible and because of that more attractive. It is part of most manufacturer/distributor's irritations to see that stores for reasons of space or other valid arguments, only carry part of the line. To have a store like this means that you can show the consumer the full line. Both in the long and short run everybody profits greatly. Been there, done that...and I still have the T-shirt.
six of one
The one umbra thing I've bought recently, the garbino, they are $7 US in the store and $7 US online. Shipping vs sales tax is almost a wash. I have four of these terrific little and cheap trash cans. Two I bought locally (spur of the moment, saw it in pink and had to have it) two I bought online (part of a complete remodeled bathroom final decor plan, had to have two identical in white). I think they have very successfully penetrated a very broad market. I've acutually seen many new brick & mortar retail stores carrying Umbra products since they had an online sales channel. It makes their whole line visible and desired.
http://www.umbra.com/ustore/product/082857/c601/garbino___can__gloss_.html
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