David Bitton, the Canadian denim brand known as Buffalo Jeans in the U.S., is dipping its toe into the European market with a temporary guerrilla store that opened late last month on London’s Carnaby Street.
The 320-square-foot shop jostles for customers’ attention on a street that plays host to denim brands such as Miss Sixty, Pepe, Lee and Fornarina. But the company hopes the temporary nature of the store, and the artists’ and illustrators’ work it showcases, will set it apart from the competition.
“We wanted to be able to offer something different, and Carnaby Street has so much history and attracts a discerning customer,” said Onita Prasada, director of David Bitton in the U.K. and Europe, who secured a short-term lease for the store. “We’ve tested the market here with wholesale accounts, but the store gives the customer a better sense of the David Bitton brand, as well as a bigger selection of pieces.”
Delicate cutout illustrations of corsets and lingerie by illustrator Jennifer Rogers are spread throughout the shop, in contrast with heavy wooden beams with silver bolts that run across the ceiling and give a sense of the store being under construction. The company is in talks with several other artists to exhibit at the store.
Prasada said how well the brand’s first store in Europe performs will determine whether the company invests in a permanent space in London.
“The response so far has been pretty good and has met our expectations,” she said, although she declined to provide a sales prediction.
David Bitton is sold at 120 stores across the U.K. and 100 across Europe. However, Prasada acknowledged that compared with the U.S. and Canada, awareness of the brand was low.
Prasada said the fit of David Bitton jeans, which retail in the U.K. for the equivalent of $168 to $340, kept first-time customers coming back, along with frequently changing stock.
“With a drop [delivery] every month, there’s always a freshness in the stores, which keeps customers on their toes,” she said.
To further raise awareness, the store has held events for customers and press to meet the artists who will exhibit there, and plans more of them before the shop closes in October.
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“There’s no formula to marketing the brand in each country,” said Prasada. “The ethos of the brand is to make David Bitton as different as it needs to be in each different environment.”