Scotch and Soda: A Different Era of Retail

Close your eyes, picture yourself walking into a courtyard, in the centre of which is a fountain elegantly carved from marble, flowers from the balconies around you, pomp and flair surrounding you at every turn.  Curiously you walk into the closest building that takes you back to a bygone era, and you know that at last, you have arrived. You begin to smell “citrus-herb, sandalwood, musk, and Madagascar vanilla”.  Open your eyes. The smell remains and yet, you are inside a Scotch & Soda brick and mortar store. The exposed brick reminds you of a time when things were simpler. The scents that pull you in are curious and foreign, lighting fire to your senses. Turning around you see classic retail pieces, elegant furniture, gold plated railings and a set of summertime suspenders.

Scotch & Soda bills itself as a classic brand “but young and progressive when it comes to bringing great clothes to the market place” (1).  What can we as consumers and as brand analysts learn from that? First, by identifying themselves as a “classic” brand, the brick outlay comes into play, how better to define classic than to invoke the feelings of a bygone empire. Second by bringing great clothes to the market in a more unique setting we can assume that the pricing on their units is going to be higher. This is absolutely correct, the pricing at these stores is significantly higher then a store in relatively the same market, such as Simons. The use of scents from Europe enforces the notion of the exotic origins of the store in the Netherlands. It also adds to the customer experience and plays to the senses, highlighting certain areas. 

Some retailers opt to showcase themselves as a global brand with local style, and I would say that Scotch & Soda is definitely one of these retailers. When walking into a store not only do you feel the couture of the location and unique atmosphere, you also feel the local vibe based off smaller pieces suggestively placed around the store. In each store the format meets the regional look. Edmonton stores differ to their New York counterparts; likewise New York and London locations differ. It’s all about thinking locally while providing a global service. As mentioned in “The Retail Value Proposition” (2) stores use lighting to affect consumer’s moods and influence them. Scotch & Soda certainly does this, and quite well! The use of bright lights on the displays and then complimentary lighting to the shelves points the way for the customer to look and move.