omni-channel is officially back in fashion
Last week, I had the chance to check out the opening of SunGod’s new flagship store in London. It looks like omni-channel is officially back in fashion.
As a DTC brand, they’ve exploded in recent years, with global partnerships including McLaren Racing, INEOS Grenadiers Cycling Team, Major League Baseball (MLB), and Williams Racing. Athlete collabs and a customisation model which I'd say is on par with NikeiD.
What makes them even more impressive is the market they operate in. Most competitors aren’t independent brands, they’re licensed labels, owned or controlled by a small handful. True independent brands are rare. Even Oakley, once a favourite Californian disruptor, is now just a small slice of EssilorLuxottica, the giant that has amassed around 70% of the global sunglasses market.
SunGod is nailing DTC. So why mess with it and join the big boys in the world of premium retail? I suspect, that like so many, the original DTC dream, closer to fans, deeper connection, has become impersonal and automated. Acquisition is more volatile than ever. CAC is unpredictable, expensive, and increasingly unreliable in today’s frantic landscape.
Retail, on the other hand, offers visibility and a sense of validation in the customer’s mind. It gives fans (and future fans) a place to connect with the brand IRL. Especially when you have something as engaging as SunGod’s custom product experience.
Retail, when done right, brings brands to life. It’s the missing link in a brand ecosystem. But it’s a tough model to get right.
Impact requires scale. And scale means risk.
Location is still everything, staff costs are high.
Footfall hasn’t fully bounced back post-Covid.
Still, the opportunity is there.
Landlords are no longer fixed to five or ten year longer leases and are finally offering flexibility.
Customers are willing to travel for the right experience and are leaning into live events.
Tourism is booming across Europe.
Simple and beautiful fit-outs can be achieved for tens of thousands, not hundreds of thousands.
It’s refreshing to see a traditionally online brand like SunGod using retail (and retail partners) as the next stage of growth, built around connection, customisation and community.
Go check them out on Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London.
