Turn left out of Battersea’s Queenstown Road Station and you’ll find the Loaf Shack, the first of a proposed 10 ‘slowrooms’ (not showrooms) from laid-back e-tailer Loaf. With annual sales reaching £27m just six years since its inception, the web-based brand is one the UK’s fastest-growing companies – but its founder has long acknowledged that physical stores are essential to the equation. Furniture News’ Paul Farley decided to take a closer look …
It’s taken some time for Loaf’s dough to rise – founder Charlie Marshall first announced his desire to take the brand into physical retail in March 2014. Translating the genial, informal vibe of Loaf’s website to a physical space was always going to prove challenging, despite the lessons learned from the dry run – a 5000 sqft showroom-come-office in Notting Hill. The e-tailer’s first real foray into offline sales had to translate, and expand upon, the brand’s unique character, whilst establishing a template for future stores – no mean feat, indeed.
With the guidance of Loaf’s head of news Sally Flower, I’m looking forward to seeing if the wait has been worthwhile …
Location
From the outside, it’s not the most salubrious of locations – the store’s bright blue frontage shines like a beacon directly onto a busy road – but nearby building works attest to Battersea’s up-and-coming potential. The district’s regeneration, bolstered by the Riverlight development and the power station’s facelift, means it’ll soon be teeming with luxury apartments, homes, restaurants and retail outlets. Even the station’s cafe is going more upmarket.
Part of the building – “we think it was an old coal shed”, says Sally – lays beneath the railway line, and trains rumble regularly overhead. “We were hunting for a space for more than a year,” she explains. “It’s really hard to find the right feel, the right size … it was important to find a building that had character. We didn’t want a shiny, brand new building.”
London-based consultancy Blass Design [see boxout] directed the Loaf’s Shack’s core structural work. The 8000 sqft building initially comprised a large open space at its front, from which six archways led to segregated spaces – presumably former cellars – plus a small, low-ceilinged complex, suitable for office space.
The genius of the choice of building is that the archways – reinforced and cleaned up by Blass – make for ideal roomset spaces, whilst Loaf has seized on the potential of the office space to create The Den, a short tunnel complex featuring a breakout games room/customer retreat that leads to the back of house.
There are just six parking bays outside – “more than you’d find anywhere in Central London”, asserts Sally. “There had to be a compromise somewhere. We didn’t want to be on the high street as the rates are sky high, and we try to keep prices as low as possible for our customers.”
Loaf’s choice of a Battersea location was driven by clearer signals. “The benefit of being online is we can see where our customers are, and what they are buying – and a large proportion of them are in this area,” says Sally.
It’s a relatively safe choice, then, ensuring footfall to Loaf’s first store, but, rather than cannibalising online sales from the district, the store has actually lifted them – lending weight to the argument that bricks are more likely to support clicks than replace them altogether.
“We are really happy with this space,” confirms Sally. “We’re reaching out to traditional buyers whilst keeping our existing following. Most of our sales are online – but some items simply need to be touched before they’re purchased.”
Feel
Loaf’s playful, relaxed vibe infuses the space, making the Loaf Shack a truly unique retail destination – there’s much more to this place than transactions. “We wanted to create the most laid-back showroom in the UK,” says Sally, “and we had to make the feel familiar to fans of the Loaf brand. It feels homely and comfortable. You don’t have to tiptoe around the place – we encourage people to kick off their shoes and relax.”
There’s a real beach house vibe at work. White-washed timber walls and wooden floorboards meet various blues, evoking the colours of the coast.
The Loaf team has specially compiled a music playlist to lift and relax the spirit, comprising the likes of Bonobo, Thievery Corporation, Chilly Gonzales, Lindstrom, Jamie Woon and Fritz Kalkbrenna. “We’ve gone for feel-good, chilled music,” explains Sally. “We want to make people smile.”
Other than this – aside from a couple of order points – the store is free of technology, in an attempt to help create a stress-free environment. “In London, there’s generally a mentality that being busy and lacking sleep is a mark of success – people like to moan about how hard they push themselves,” says Sally. “We’re saying it’s actually okay to chill out sometimes, to stay in your pyjamas all day on a Sunday, take time out and relax – it’s good for you. I think people have forgotten that.”
The Loaf Shack welcomes and becalms, and central to this experience are the myriad details that set it apart from your typical furnishings store. Whilst many of these elements have been developed by Loaf’s new in-house designer, Charlie Marshall played a significant part in defining the store’s character, specifying features inspired by his childhood and global travels.
The entrance boasts tiles from East London’s Bert & May, and Egyptian antique shutters. Abstract oil paintings from local West End artist Ben Lowe pepper the walls and populate a small gallery at the building’s rear. The customer service counters are Belgian workbenches, illuminated by reclaimed industrial-style lamps. Even the toilets – complete with baby-changing unit – are lined with handmade Lava tiles, and fronted by reclaimed wooden doors from Sri Lanka.
Retro signage, designed in-house and made to order, sets the tone from the outset, the doormat wryly proclaiming Nice Shoes! In the Mattress Testing zone, Loaf’s history and the number of bed SKUs available is literally written on the walls, and everywhere are suggestions in various typesets to relax, have a drink, or take a closer look. “Old school is the new school,” laughs Sally.
Much of the setting is even more personal. Upon entry, I’m greeted by the biggest teddy bear I’ve ever seen. “There used to be a massive bear in Charlie’s grandparents’ house,” explains Sally. “Kids’ little faces just light up when they see him!”
Some roomsets are deliberately retro, littered with staff photos and children’s books from Charlie’s childhood. A television plays out the iconic 1981 Wimbledon final between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg – the sound of summer for a young Charlie. For weary shoppers looking to take a break, there’s The Den, a breakout area offering table football, plus games of Space Invaders and Donkey Kong on coffee table arcade machines.
Central to these touches is The Churney, a working ice cream parlour. “When Charlie was a kid, he always wanted an ice cream shop,” says Sally. “Every store offers coffee – we wanted to do something different!”
Customers ring a cowbell for service, and can choose from a strong selection of flavours (the salted caramel is particularly tasty!).
The notion of compromising store footprint and staff time – and potentially cleanliness – in favour of such a feature might be anathema to most retailers, but Loaf has found The Churney, flanked by children’s drawing benches and a gobstopper vending machine, to be a real asset.
Few retailers offer a creche, and The Churnery is the ideal place in which to leave children whilst shopping. It also offers staff a great talking point, helping them engage customers on a personal level. Says Sally: “The fun associated with the ice cream definitely outweighs the risk!”
Staff
Charlie has a rigorous approach to recruitment. Fundamentally, staff (Loafers) have to be affable, ambitious, “normal” people. In stark contrast to its 30 employees just 18 months ago, Loaf now employs around 80. Each new staffer sits the Loaf Degree, a course that introduces them to the brand’s ethos and products, including a visit to the retailer’s upholstery manufacturing operation in Long Eaton.
Two to three Loafers work the Loaf Shack on weekdays, and five on weekends. “It’s been manic here on weekends,” says Sally. “We’ve had people queuing up outside at opening time for the last few weeks. The Loafers here rotate between the Notting Hill showroom and the Loaf Shack, just to keep it interesting for them.”
Within the store stands the Tree of Loaf, a wooden sculpture adorned with a Polaroid photo of each staff member. In a nod to Loaf’s horizontal management hierarchy, each is ‘head’ of something – be it people (HR), creation (design), or, in Sally’s case, news (marketing PR). The employees are predominantly young, with numerous career progression opportunities open to them, says Sally.
Every two months, the entire team gather for a ‘mobble’, an evening shindig where they eat and drink together, share successes, and reward the Loafer of the Month. The last mobble took place in the Loaf Shack. “I felt really proud to see how far we’ve come,” says Sally.
Products
Loaf currently offers more than 40 styles of sofas and 30 beds, all designed in-house and manufactured in Derbyshire or Wiltshire. There’s a distinct emphasis on comfort – the cushions on Loaf’s deep-seated sofas are generally feather filled and foam wrapped, making them snug, but able to spring back into shape. Interestingly, the sofas can be returned within two weeks if the customer is not happy with their purchase – Sally says that the rates of return are much lower than might be expected.
Right of the entrance is a swatch board displaying Loaf’s 120 upholstery cover options (including two leathers), a mix of velvets, linens, cottons and wools from fabric houses Romo, Designers Guild and Ian Mankin. This selection will soon be bolstered by a further 30 spring/summer fabrics, including a number of florals – a departure from the core pastels that have defined Loaf’s products to date.
“People love neutrals, but we’ve progressed from there,” says Sally. Customers are encouraged to take home a selection of samples in their own Snug Pack, in order to make a more considered purchase.
As might be expected, some of the more eye-catching fabrics adorn the store’s window display models. “People are being a lot bolder with colour these days,” says Sally. “Our burnt orange velvet is now a bestseller.”
Beds – which formed the core of Loaf’s offer upon its inception in 2008 as The Sleep Room – can be created from a choice of six bases, three headboards and 100 fabrics (also displayed in a pick-and-mix format).
Loaf’s cabinet offer, which covers industrial, retro, vintage, classical and more, is manufactured in China. “We’re very open about this,” says Sally. “Made in China doesn’t have the negative connotations it used to.”
Alongside the bedroom, dining, living room and home office furniture, Loaf offers mirrors, lighting, soft furnishings and storage solutions.
A strong homewares offer sets a new precedent for the company’s product offer. From Portuguese bedlinen and Indian handmade rugs to organic candles made in Brooklyn and none-more-retro Roberts radios, the takeaway quotient is substantial, and marks the start of Loaf’s transition from furniture to a lifestyle brand. Loaf intends to build its complement of own-brand homewares imminently.
“We offer predominantly hand-made products, and with those come long lead times,” says Sally. “These smaller takeaway products mean shoppers can leave the store with something of Loaf, even if it’s not a big ticket item – it’s about building that emotional connection.”
There’s plenty of PoS support material available. Paint cards in Farrow & Ball colours are on hand to help customers match colours at home, and spec sheets are readily available, clarifying product dimensions ahead of Loaf’s white-glove delivery service down the line.
Marketing
Loaf engaged in a large-scale advertising campaign ahead of the store’s opening. “We handed out 27,000 copies of the [brand newspaper] Loaf Times at local West London tube stations at the time of the launch,” says Sally, “as well as executing door drops. Since, we’ve had great support from the national newspapers, consumer interiors titles and women’s lifestyle magazines.”
However, word of mouth has been the greatest driver of footfall, as a mix of factors – tone, service, look and engagement – have helped build a loyal customer following. “It’s like being in a club,” says Sally.
Direction
“One of the best confirmations we’ve got this store right is that customers have said it’s how they expected it to be,” says Sally. In fact, I overhear shoppers echoing the sentiment myself.
It feels like many of the details have been agonised over for some time. “While our Notting Hill showroom provided a strong foundation for this place,” says Sally, “some of the Loaf Shack concepts were pretty wacky to begin with – swings and slides were considered!”
Loaf plans to roll out a further 10 stores, first around London, then beyond. The search for the ideal second store location has taken six months so far. “Pretty much the whole range is in stock here,” says Sally. “With the new additions coming in for spring/summer, the next shack will definitely have to be bigger than this one.
“We’re all proud of what we’ve achieved here. We’ve such a clear idea of where we’re going as a brand. Yes, we keep a close eye on our competitors – but then we ignore what they’re doing and carry on! In fact, most of the brands that have any influence on us are outside of our market. I think we’re quite subversive sometimes.
“In terms of people, products and suppliers, we’re in a really good place.”
Conclusion
It may have taken Charlie Marshall some time to demonstrate his commitment to the bricks and clicks retail model, but it’s been worth the wait.
Conveying beach house, retro and industrial stylings with a tone that’s innocent drinks meets Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, the Loaf Shack is a unique location that truly feels laid back and personable. It’s the little – often personal – details that promise to elevate Loaf’s offer above a typical shopping experience. Indeed, so much thought has gone into this store, it’s hard to imagine how Loaf will replicate this experience in its next outlet without diluting or commercialising it.
So much could have been lost in the transition from website to physical store, but Loaf has succeeded in realising the brand’s unique, playful character within a suitable space, whilst bringing fresh ingredients to the mix. And, crucially, the early signs indicate that the store has not cannibalised sales, but bolstered them.
The Loaf Shack is an admirable start to Loaf’s physical retail journey, and a genuine attempt to bring a new shopping experience to the market. And that’s not just the ice cream talking.
The Battersea Loaf Shack opened on 1st October, 2015. This week, Loaf announced plans to open a second, in Notting Hill, next month. This article was published in the Jnuary 2016 issue of Furniture News magazine – see the digital issue for expanded content.
