Rolling Out
Barneys New York is looking to take the cannabis lifestyle to higher ground with a new concept shop rolling out to its Beverly Hills store first.
The High End launches with product from more than 30 brands, including an exclusive deal with Beboe. The assortment touches on categories that range from home and beauty to jewelry. Among the roster of product exclusives are Devambez rolling papers, custom-blown glass pipes by Caleb Siemmon and Laboratorio Pesaro ashtrays.
“As vast as the market is, it's actually a really small community in terms of what everyone is doing,” said creative director Matthew Mazzucca about the competitive landscape. “No one is really addressing the home, the lifestyle product aspect of it. We have access to the best designers and vendors in the world and we're able to partner with them on special collaborations. We looked at the concept and started speaking to people about a year ago to create special product people can use in their homes that's functional, that's meant to be left out and displayed.”
It's the buys, which Mazzucca called “super elevated,” that Barneys thinks will give it a leg up on the competition.
“The CBD category's just another extension of our wellness program where we're really looking for best in class,” Mazzucca said. “We have a very captive audience that really looks to us to be at the forefront of cultural shifts.”
It's also about staying relevant in retail and creating what Mazzucca called “departures” that help breathe new life into the store environment and give people another reason to shop and also linger and look around.
The concept shop will eventually be rolled out to other Barneys stores, with San Francisco and
Las Vegas possibilities.
“We'll keep on building and addressing as we see what the customer reacts to, but there's so much opportunity,” Mazzucca said. “The name of the game is to start slow and be smart. Not rush the market and to capitalize on the momentum of what this category is.” — KARI HAMANAKA