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Apparel retailer Marine Layer is decorating apartments near its stores in tourist cities and listing them on Airbnb. The latest is a two-bedroom apartment in a house on Magazine Street, in New Orleans. The others are one each in Chicago and in Portland, Ore.
Marine Layer operates 34 stores across the country, but views the Airbnb listings as a unique way to connect with consumers and show them the Marine Layer lifestyle.
“We’re in an age where the traditional rules of retail and apparel don’t apply anymore, and so brands have to think about new and different ways to connect with their customer,” Marine Layer founder Michael Natenshon told Curbed. “Ultimately, we want customers to come into stores to buy clothes, but this is also an opportunity for people to engage with Marine Layer beyond the stores. It’s a next-step evolution.”
“This is part of a trend we call ‘retail anywhere,’ where shoppers want to engage with a brand beyond a store and a purchase,” said Michael Brown, a partner in the retail practice at A.T. Kearney. “They want to build trust and an emotional connection.”
By Brannon Boswell
Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today
