by Board Retailers Association | Oct 29, 2019 | Industry, News, Resources, Women's Market
By Tiffany Montgomery | Published Oct 28, 2019 A new kind of retail concept has opened at Fashion Island in Newport Beach with a playbook that has intrigued industry insiders for years: the concession model. The General Store pop-up opened this month, and is the brainchild of longtime retail executive and consultant Erin Bell. Several brands, including L*Space, Roark and Spiritual Gangster are renting space at the store, and have complete control over their presentation and assortment. Erin does not own any inventory, but does staff the store and manage operations. Erin believes the retail industry, including landlords, need a new operating model given the massive changes that have happened in the space. She first thought of the concept about eight years ago, but brands weren’t ready and neither was the Irvine Company, which owns the shopping center. Roark has a large space toward the front of the store This time around, people were much more open to the idea. “Brick-and-mortar retail is changing,” Erin said. “Shopping is no longer a necessity and retailers need to change things up.” Her goal with the concept was for brands to be able to showcase their vision rather the vision of a boutique owner or a retail buyer. Another benefit for brands – they don’t have to commit to a long-term lease like they do when they open their own stores. At the General Store, the brands decide what product is in their space, when they change it and how they merchandise it. “It’s their store and how they treat it is up to them,” Erin said. “I’m looking to form a partnership...
by Board Retailers Association | Oct 25, 2019 | Industry, Skateboard, Women's Market
Each year, Exposure presents Exposure: A Women’s Benefit Event to bring opportunity and visibility to women who embody courage and strength. Over 170 female skaters from around the world come to Encinitas, California (near San Diego) for the opportunity to share their skateboarding skills on a global stage. The event also serves as a benefit for survivors of domestic violence. This flagship event was created to further our vision of increasing the representation of powerful females in the media and to challenge societal norms. Furthermore, our event raises awareness of and donates proceeds to a local shelter for survivors of domestic violence. This dual purpose serves to strengthen women in our community and beyond. A key feature of this event is our vendor village that showcases women focused, health and socially-conscious companies. In 2012, Exposure Co-founder and Professional Skateboarder, Amelia Brodka, saw a gaping lack of support from within the skateboarding industry for women and was inspired to make a change. She created the documentary, UNDEREXPOSED, to explore the systemic problem of lack of support for women within the skateboarding industry. The documentary explores the root causes of this issue covering topics of major skateboarding competitions, such as the X-Games, removing women’s vert and bowl skateboarding events, and sponsorship and marketing support by skateboard brands. Although the population of female skateboarders was growing at the time of Exposure’s inception, there were not as many spaces for them to feel supported and encouraged to develop their skill as their male counterparts. The lack of competitive outlets for females meant less opportunities to compete for certain titles, connect with peers, and potentially win...
