On my last visit to Urban Outfitters, I noticed a do-it-yourself aesthetic unlike any retail store I’ve ever been in. All aspects of the store, the checkout counter, the fitting rooms, the displays, and the art on the wall, were hand-made with little more than plywood, fabric and spray paint. I even saw quite a few items in home furnishings that had “free” written on them. I had to do a double take to realize that I wasn’t in a thrift store.
Somehow this D.I.Y. environment works for this demographic, but it raised a lot of questions for me. I wonder how much of a role the employees have in building the “sets?” It also makes me curious about the people shopping here. Urban Outfitters is not cheap, yet it disguises itself as a thrift store. What is the desire to shop here over repurposing pre-existing objects such as the ones that Urban Outfitters uses as backdrops for their overpriced goods?
One Comment
“It also makes me curious about the people shopping here. Urban Outfitters is not cheap, yet it disguises itself as a thrift store. What is the desire to shop here over repurposing pre-existing objects such as the ones that Urban Outfitters uses as backdrops for their overpriced goods?”
Yeah, I’ve been to that store and the same thoughts have run through my head. I love the displays that they set up, have you seen the one thats near the front entrance where they stapled a bunch of square sheets wood together to create a dome for product display. That was nice. However, with that said its also too high for my budget.
There’s similar types of stores on Haight St. where the environment is very unique and the product has that thrift store look but the prices are ridiculous. And its funny cause they are located next to a Goodwill, which if keen enough you could find similar finds, which sells its shirts for 2$.