First Look: Men’s Wearhouse opens ‘next-gen’ store concept
Men’s Wearhouse has unveiled a new store concept that incorporates digital elements and reflects the brand’s continued evolution of the customer experience.
The retailer unveiled the first iteration of the new concept at Portofino Shopping Center in Shenandoah, Texas. The approximately 3,000-sq.-ft., remodeled store has a stylish, contemporary design with a color palette that include warm oak tones, cool grays and blues, enhanced by glass and steel finishes. A reduced merchandise mix provides for a more modern, streamlined look. The store also features enhanced digital and interactive technology such as hands-free fitting and measurement.
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“The new store experience provides a more omnichannel offering by elevating digital tools and services to connect in-store, on-line, and beyond, leveraging enhanced service and selection, customization, and buy-online-pickup-in-store opportunities,” said Robyn Novak, VP, national retail practice leader, Nelson Worldwide, which partnered with Men’s Wearhouse to create the new concept.
One of the main differences between the new concept and the company’s existing format has to do with the merchandise emphasis. While formal offerings have been a large focus in the past, the new format takes a more lifestyle approach that complements recent changes in the way men dress and shop.
“The focus of the new store experience was about enhancing the brand’s lifestyle and casual merchandising to complement their formal offer, taking him from day to night, work to dinner,” said Novak. “Another major differentiator was elevating their category and service offering, bringing top product categories to the forefront with a destination worthy experience.”
A focal wall, The Shirt Shop, reflects the new strategy, spotlighting dress shirts in a way that simplifies the selection process for both employees and shoppers. The wall is lined with shirts sorted by fit, style, color family, pattern and size.
An interactive tablet will help customers find what they need, in their desired size and fit. The tablet also gives customers the option to add items to a virtual fitting room, a tool that notifies an employee to take the selections directly to the fitting room.
In another change, rather than having a traditional back-of-house area, the store has a glass-enclosed room, called The Vault, where customers can shop with assistance from an associate. The associate pulls items, specific to a customer’s specific needs, style and preferences, sharing the curated selection with the customer versus the customer having to “sort through everything” on their own
“A traditional back of house space would be where an associate would go to pull inventory,” said Novak. “The Vault allows that selection process to be an experience with the shopper, within a dedicated area in the store. It creates an in-store destination that provides a more elevated and personal shopping experience.”
Men’s Wearhouse is owned by Tailored Brands, which operates 1,400 stores under several banners. The company declared bankruptcy in August, citing business disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.