Adapt or die. That’s the message across the retail industry as e-commerce impacts nearly every aspect of consumer spending.
Whether competing in the major global market or struggling to keep people coming through the doors of independent local stores and boutiques, owners who previously depended on a steady stream of loyal customers are now forced to change how they’ve been doing business. Those who adapt, might survive, and those who don’t, most certainly face a slow death.
Mister Guy Clothiers, located along Clayton Road in Ladue, with separate, specialty men and women’s stores, is reinventing its brick-and-mortar traditional look by combining the stores into one, creating an updated aesthetic with fresh brands and enhancing its e-commerce sites, though that is still a work in progress.
Sarah Rhim, who owns the store with her husband, Simon, said, “We’ve gotten to know our shoppers and have had our eye on some changes that have resulted in our current rebranding of the women’s store, moving the two stores together, and updating the e-commerce sites. We also realize that it’s a sizable deal to be in the clothing retail business for this long, and we want to celebrate that.”
While many components remain the same for the 43-year-old St. Louis store, the branding is freshened up, the former Mister Guy Women’s store is now simply, MG Women, and a streamlined e-commerce site is in the works.
In our opinion, this is a smart move for Mister Guy, as the brand’s traditional clientele is getting older, leaving a vacuum that will most likely have to be filled with a new, internet- and social media-savvy clientele who are exposed to various online shopping options for high-end, sustainable brands.
This week, Mister Guy is inviting guests to come in for gift card raffles, fall brand releases and more.
Here’s a peek inside the reimagined store:
