Timberland opens its unique purpose-led concept store in Carnaby Street

Owing much success to its original flagship store in Regent Street, Timberland recently moved stores to Carnaby Street. The new store has been built to promote their sustainable style and DYO shoes.

If you were a regular patron of Timberland Regent Street, their new store is about to take you by surprise. Displaying glass windows and welcome greenery, the store stands in a row with its sister establishments: Nappajiri, North Face and Vans just a few stores down. The store’s white, green and orange exterior are enough to catch the passersby’s attention. The inside, however, is a different story altogether – fitted with colourful frames, photographs and digital LED screens displaying the brand’s manifesto.

Timberland, Carnaby Street

Once inside, two tables stand on either side of the entrance. One showcases Timberland’s iconic Design Your Own (DYO) station and the other, a community table. The DYO table is fitted with an iPad and other colourful fittings – from material swatches and shoelaces to different monogram patterns and aglets. Patrons can draw inspiration from 5 iconic shoes made by independent designers that are put on display. Meanwhile, the community table acts as an excellent way for the company to highlight their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) work along with their eco-friendly practices. The panels are engaging and offer original leather, cotton, recycled plastic and rubber used in the shoes. 

One of the most eye-catching things in the store are the mannequins. They are made from a combination of recycled material recovered from industrial leftovers and bio-resin. They bring a unique look to the styled clothes and add to the company’s global-campaign “Nature Needs Heroes”.

Timberland’s new global campaign ‘Nature Needs Heroes’ promotes sustainability and eco-friendliness.

Drawing from the same campaign, the store is now much more eco-friendly and reflective of its passion for nature. The store is equipped with multiple green walls to capture customer attention and reflect their green motto. Apart from that, smaller installations of live trees, ferns and other natural elements complete the store’s ambience. All fixtures in the store are environmentally friendly and biocompatible. The store’s lighting is eco-friendly as well, with the utilisation of LED lighting and technology using up 24% less energy than before. 

Stefan Kurz, Deputy Manager of Timberland Carnaby Street, says: “The new store brings in an era of change: generational change, stylistic change and a change in how we view sustainability.

“The store is able to deliver these messages through our purpose table which is the most indicative of our motto and manifesto. We’re currently planning various events to make this campaign more accessible for customers.”

Working at the new store, of course, has been a pleasant change for employees. Junaid Bux, a sales associate at the store, says: “I feel like I can connect with our customers more now that the store has supplemented the age gap. I also prefer the location of this store, as I can find more like-minded people coming into the store that I can chat with.”

The new fitted LED screens displaying Timberland’s manifesto.

In a world ravaged by global climate change, this new store is changing rules of production, customer engagement and retail. With these challenges to the structures of retail shopping, Timberland is creating a more aware and responsible audience, while also pushing their mantra of sustainability and eco-friendliness. It still caters to the trend of fast fashion, albeit, it does so whilst making sure that they are creating a green impact. This might just be the future of retail where fashion meets nature to create a more apparent change through consumerism.