Culture club: Retailer goes glocal with arts hub

London – ‘From day one, Aubin & Wills was always about more than fashion’, says creative director Sarah Holme. Putting this idea into practice, the brand has just opened a new multifunctional space that goes beyond retail by featuring a bar, gallery and cinema.

The new Aubin & Wills store on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, London – a hive of creativity since artists Sarah Lucas and Tracey Emin opened a shop there in 1993 –joins a number of other retailers engaging with this local creative audience.

The new store is also an opportunity for the brand to engage its customers with its growing almanac – an idea that sees the space almost function as a members’ club for the brand.

‘The Aubin & Wills store became an opportunity to make this a 360-degree brand experience,’ says Holme. ‘By opening the cinema our customers can come and see the films we may have been discussing in the almanac.’

‘Aubin & Wills doesn’t just champion a creative environment, it’s about being in the know and belonging to our club.’

Brands are increasingly tuning into local hotspots and creating spaces for individual communities and urban villages. This growing need for Glocalised understanding is explored further in the new LS:N Global retail report.