New York, NY Refinery29, the authoritative style guide to independent fashion, shopping, designers, and trends, is expanding with the launch of a pioneering new virtual marketplace. Refinery29Shops.com is a dynamic e-commerce concept that for the first time unifies the world’s top independent boutiques and designers on one distinctive platform that provides each retailer customized cyber storefronts under the Refinery29 umbrella. Each hand-selected store reflects the creative, individualist lifestyle embodied by Refinery29. The new site is poised to become a thriving retail community that enables like-minded entrepreneurs, who share in the independent vision, to reach a broader audience of creative, style-conscious consumers without compromising their personalized objectives and aesthetics.
This first ever virtual consolidation formula gives each retailer the advantages of being in the company of like-minded entrepreneurs catering to the same demographic. Boutiques and designers will be able to attract new customers and gain wider exposure on Refinery29 Shops through traffic generated by other retailers and Refinery29’s ardent following.
Until now, there hasn’t been an online shopping destination for our audience of stylish and independent-minded readers, nor was there a unified virtual retail platform for this creative fashion talent, said Philippe von Borries, creative director, Refinery29. Our editorial site has generated a tremendous amount of visibility for designers we’ve covered in the past and Refinery29 Shops is another way for us to support the independent fashion community.
Current boutiques and retailers include: Steven Alan, In God We Trust, Freemans Sporting Club, Eskell, Seize sur Vingt, Groupe 16sur20, Oak, Angie Keefer, Lyell, Lisa Levine, Matter, and Shelly Steffee. All retailers are represented on Refinery29’s signature innovative mall directory interface that allows shoppers to experience each boutique in a highly personal way. Users virtually window shop by scrolling along the boutique directory to view detailed photos of available items, and they can explore more closely by clicking on and entering each boutique. The secure shopping cart allows customers to purchase from multiple retailers with one simple transaction completed through Refinery29 Shops.
About Refinery29
Refinery29 Shops is a natural evolution of Refinery29.com (launched in June 2005), the leading online editorial source for independent style, retail, and fashion, tailored for a discriminating audience of style-conscious, affluent consumers previously overlooked by other fashion magazines and Web sites. Refinery29 content features aspirational and inspirational designers, stories, and trends that appeal to this rapidly growing niche. The new online retail marketplace conveniently connects this captive audience directly to the designers and stores that Refinery29 reports on.