Theory House’s latest market exploration took us to Columbus, Ohio, a retail hotbed for concept testing due to its diverse demographics. This is part two of our story (click here for part one – Putting the ‘Warehouse’ Back in DSW), focusing on some local retail concepts unique to the city.
Columbus is home to some impressive local retail concepts. Apart from any city’s typical boutiques and shops, here are two standout retailers we experienced while in Ohio.
Celebrate Local and Homage have clearly put significant investment into their storefronts, interior design and merchandising. Naturally, local boutiques tend to have a charm that connects them with their community (of customers), but these stores amplified that unique character a step further.
At Celebrate Local, you will not only find Ohio-centric merchandise that any native would be proud to purchase but also custom-made products that truly can only be found within the shop’s four walls. Celebrate Local’s variety of hometown merchandise compels shoppers to take their time discovering every little nook of the store.
At Homage, Ohio athletics are not only celebrated, they’re idolized. To pay respect to Ohio’s sports heritage, the store has curated a unique blend of lifestyle apparel that cannot be found anywhere else. The attention put into merchandising and the shop’s design, including the use of retro sports displays and signage, implies that the same effort was put into the production and curation of the apparel for sale. The pure uniqueness of the product offering makes you want to leave with a new T-shirt celebrating Ohio sports, whether you’re from the state or not.