SHOPPE TALKS: Shoppe Object Town Hall
Industry Insights At Home & Abroad
At our winter show in New York, Shoppe Object Founder & President Jesse James and WSN CEO Frédéric Maus held a town hall-style talk, sharing their expert perspectives on the current state of the industry and answering thoughtful questions from our creative community. Scroll on for some of the most memorable moments and juiciest insights!
Featuring:
Jesse James of SHOPPE OBJECT
Frédéric Maus of WSN
Renata Bokalo of SHOPPE OBJECT
The Future of Retail
FRÉDÉRIC MAUS: Distribution and retail is really evolving. If you want to have a good shop, you need to be much more like a concept store.
JESSE JAMES: Most stores are leaning into creating experiential spaces, which is the future of the brick-and-mortar retail model — and even the best of e-commerce.
A Better Trade Show
JESSE JAMES: We needed to get back to feeling good about what it was to go and build a show. We wanted something that felt more intimate, more collaborative, and more community driven.
The experience at Porte de Versailles was extremely human. That was important to us because we’ve always tried to create an environment that feels human.
International Affairs
FRÉDÉRIC MAUS: Business will still exist between us. That’s why we created a bridge that goes both ways.
JESSE JAMES: The people that are coming to this market are determined, and the buyers are determined to live through this. It’s a supportive community, and I think we're all flexible enough to try to work with the realities at play.
FRÉDÉRIC MAUS: When you come to Paris to a trade show, you take the entire European market. It's an open window to all the world, an opportunity to develop in a new market.
JESSE JAMES: Our goal is to create a platform in Paris that allows brands from this part of the world to have an easy entry into being exposed to buyers that they're not necessarily being exposed to here.
Exhibitor Success
JESSE JAMES: Our growth is a testament to the success that many brands have.
RENATA BOKALO: It’s a long game. Buyers may come, look around, and then place their order a few weeks later, so you have to stay in the market.
Connections Across Categories
FRÉDÉRIC MAUS: You need a world atmosphere. You cannot just sell clothes. You sell a story out of your brand, and that means you can expand to a specific category…Brands will evolve to sell and to speak to their community. If you have a brand that is loved by the community, you can sell clothes, you can sell goods, you can sell whatever.
NEXT MONTH:
IRL ENGAGEMENT:
Social Media’s Authentic Future