Store presence: Scotch & Soda

Presence, or mood, probably has a greater influence on sales than many retailers perceive (or are willing to risk). Making customers feel comfortable and part of something special is the objective; repeat visits is the reward. My favorite positive examples are the ANF brands: Abercrombie & Fitch, clubby, fun, loud; Hollister, warm and cozy beach cottage with a Southern California relaxed edge (oxymoron acknowledged); Gilly Hicks, sprawling seaside home Down Under. Others are more subtle, e.g., Anthropologie, redolent of an interactive museum in which you can buy the stuff.

One new entry in this evolving but small club of adventurous retailers is Amsterdam-based Scotch & Soda, which advertises itself as a “couture” company but is really a purveyor of high-end casual apparel with a distinct edge. Think Free People with higher pricepoints and more predictable categories. The company’s store footprint is all over the map (literally and figuratively), and coming slowly to the U.S. Here in Aventura Mall in Florida is a look at the current iteration: a safari tent. Yes, it’s difficult to see what the format has to do with the merchandise … maybe, “Yes, Madam, let me unpack your things before the elephant hunt.” But it’s great to see the variety. And as shoppers walk by, they walk in. All of them.