Guide Shops Are The Future Of Retail

New York, March 29, 2016 -- “The traditional method of retail distribution is rapidly changing,” declares Evan Fript, CEO of Paul Evans shoes, adding, “men dread going to department stores only to be disappointed by a lack of selection, quality products and fresh new brands,” he adds. 

Fript and his business partner Ben Earley are the co-founders of Paul Evans, a digitally native direct-to-consumer men’s luxury footwear brand that recently launched a guide shop at 35 Christopher Street in Manhattan. The two were former college roommates who moved to New York to work in finance, only to shun the industry and venture out on their own. 

“We were struggling to find attractive, quality footwear at an attainable price point,” says Earley, who manages the Paul Evans guide shop alongside Fript seven days a week. So the two business partners began networking and traveling to shoe factories internationally to explore the idea of a direct-to-consumer luxury footwear brand. 

“We saw the success of Bonobos and Warby Parker’s direct-to-consumer business model and thought we could go direct with luxury footwear,” says Fript, who was still working in finance at the time. “No one else was doing direct-to-consumer handmade Italian footwear, so we figured we’d give it a shot,” he adds. 

After selling exclusively online for two and a half years, Fript and Earley decided to open their first guide shop, a retail experience sans inventory. “The concept is for customers to come in, figure out their sizing, touch the product and have a conversation about the brand with the founders,” says Earley, adding “it’s a much more intimate experience than going to a department store and seeing the same old brands.” 

After determining the correct size and selecting a style, customers are able to make a purchase in the store or online at their convenience. No matter the point of sale, all orders are fulfilled from the company’s distribution center. “It’s a very simplified distribution model coupled with a relaxed and comfortable environment. We help customers find the perfect pair of shoes and ship it directly to them, either at their office, place of residence or even a hotel, anywhere in the world,” says Fript, who is quick to add that Paul Evans already sells internationally into over 30 countries. 

When asked about their long-term plan for Paul Evans, both Fript and Earley unanimously declare that can easily see 100 guide shops internationally to support markets they already sell into via their online store. “This is just the beginning,” says Fript.

Evan Fript
[email protected]
35 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
800-280-1725