SHOP TALK

RANDOM NOTES: The North Face unveiled a new store pilot — complete with a Redwood tree — at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, Calif. The 6,500-sq.-ft. store combines the best of digital in-store technology with features that speak to the locale and the brand’s DNA. Highlights include interior digital “sky windows” that feature artistic, atmospheric content. At the heart of the store stands a reinvented, salvaged Redwood tree. ... Ugg debuted its new lifestyle store concept at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Designed by the U.K.’s Checkland Kindleysides, the 2,828-sq.-ft. store (below) is stylish and inviting, with a modern, California-inspired vibe and open layout. The design celebrates the brand’s past and highlights its future, and includes a customization bar and digital platform that provides access to exclusive Ugg content. ... A company named after the first reptile to develop the feather for flight is opening freestanding stores. Arc’teryx Equipment, a Canadian manufacturer and retailer of high-performance outdoor apparel and equipment, is set to open a store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood in July, followed by one in Chicago’s Buckhead neighborhood in August and Toronto’s Yorkdale Mall in October. ... Minted, the online marketplace for crowd-sourced stationery, art and home décor from independent artists, is testing the physical space with a pop-up in San Francisco. Called Minted Local, the store is heavy on experiences that connect consumers with independent artists, and features workshops, artists in residence, styling services and interactive crafts for children. Art from independent artists, including signed limited edition prints and custom children’s art, is hung against library-styled walls.