JEFF GRANT RETAIL DESIGN

Free space for Local Artists

2009-09-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

An article in the New York Times today discussed a new art gallery in London that was occupying a large, hard to rent vacant retail space. The Landlord was charging a nominal amount and did require the tenants to vacate on short notice, but, in the meantime a variety of artists had a great place to show their work and the Landlord had a rich, vibrant space to show prospective tenants rather then a dead, dreary, vacant one.

If your a landlord looking for temporary tenants I'd encourage you to look no further then the local art scene. If your part of the art scene and need cheap space, start looking for vacancies and start calling leasing agents and owners. These types of ideas are win win's for all concerned including the customers.

Great store, slow website

2009-08-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

Continuing to shop in Venice , CA we step in to another very unique store called, 'The Stronghold". Very masculine with a Ralph Lauren style feel and a product line of American made custom jeans and clothing at relatively reasonable prices. Custom work/casual/dress boots and shoes for around $450-$550 per pair. Custom jeans for $275. Not cheap but if your a hard fit or want something that's made just for you, this is a great place to shop.

Wanting to extend that experience and to reaffirm the details of the boots I was interested in I visited their website (http://www.thestronghold.com). It was slow, hard to use and did not provide the info needed. If your going to create a great store, make sure your website has the same level of quality. Many shoppers need time to think about a serious purchase. The easiest way for those customers who are from out of town to consummate a sale is on-line. Make sure it is an easy and enjoyable experience.

Retail in Venice California

2009-08-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

I just spent part of the morning shopping with my wife in Venice. Many of the shops were very unique but one in particular, Mollusk Surf Shop, really stands out. These guys have a great corner location on a busy street and their present their merchandise just a little differently then most other shops.

Great T-shirts, all stacked on tables with a full exposure of the images on display. Surfboards are in the windows and up a spiral staircase. All the boards come from shapers who are anything but mainstream. Books about surfing cover an entire wall. What clothing there is comes from non- traditional, local manufacturers.

The general vibe is unique, hard to find, buy our stuff and you'll be special too.

Well done.