Ah, Glasgow. Home of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Postcard Records, at least one good football team and now 18montrose: the city’s newest and finest retail store. Stocking wares for both men and women by a whole load of designers (including Rick Owens, Alexander Wang, Stone Island and the oft-capitalised YEEZY), clothing and accessories will be accompanied by “carefully sourced essentials” including beauty and grooming products, books and homeware. Spread across two floors at the fortuitously positioned 18 Montrose Street, the whole thing aims to “explore and challenge the familiar retail space,” with stores in Nottingham and London to follow as well as a good old fashioned website at 18montrose.com. We had a chat with General Manager Mark Macdonald to find out more.
Hello General Manager Mark Macdonald. Why Glasgow?
Glasgow has been one of the most culturally prominent cities in Europe since the early nineties and is regarded as a destination for music, food, art and shopping. In recent years the retail options have been limited which has left the city trailing behind cities such as Amsterdam, Paris and Antwerp. 18montrose puts the city back on the map as a retail destination as it takes it’s cue from seminal stores such as Ichi-Ni-San and The Warehouse which were ground-breaking in their product offer and the environment they created. Glaswegians by nature are open-minded and embrace new experiences and ‘product’. It makes it the perfect city to launch the concept.
What’s the significance of 18montrose being a proper bricks and mortar store? What role do you want it to have in the city?
Personally I feel there has been a move towards a marked desire for a shopping ‘experience’ rather than the focus of your retail concept being about the convenience of online shopping. I want 18montrose to be a destination store for product offer, staff engagement and the overall shopping experience. We should be viewed as the ‘go to’ store for rare product and one-off pieces. The store needs to stand apart and that comes from how staff interact with customers, what product we showcase and down to the detail of how the store smells and the music we play. I believe this is how we establish the store as a future retail concept.
Finally… What’s your favourite Glasgow tune?
Slam Positive Education by Soma.
18montrose launches tonight, 17 March. Find out more at 18montrose.com.
Credits
Photography Andrew Lee