Sustainability-focused store Six and Sons opened in Dutch capital Amsterdam in August, aiming to provide an accessible business model for new, sustainable retail brands to market their products.
The 100 sq m, two-storey retail building includes a ground floor, pure cacao-based café and retail space for 35 brands to display their merchandise, based on three different collaboration models. Brands can rent space in a flexible, pop-up style concession, take free space and profit-share on product sales with Six and Sons, or pay for brand activations and events within the store.
France-based Six and Sons co-founder, Ilona Taillade, said that the aim of the store was to act as an “incubation hub” for start-ups and small brands that had an ethical focus, with retailers taking space already including a sock brand that sends a pair of socks to a homeless shelter for each pair it sales.
“We can see that the traditional way of retailing and sales is facing very challenging times and this is a new model, with the aim of creating a sense of community among the brands and the customers,” said Taillade. “The companies can choose how they interact with us financially and all the brands we work with must have an ethical or sustainable background. If we are to get people away from buying online then it can’t just be about the product, it has to be about the back story and the narrative.”
To foster this community feel, Six and Sons holds workshops, events, hosts music and presentations within the store to ensure that the space is used for social as well as commercial purposes.