Hospitality in Retail, Retail in Hospitality

The merging of hospitality and retail is a well-established trend that continues to grow and is becoming stronger as we lift out of Covid restrictions.

Our inability to shop IRL pushed many of us online, hence Portfolio N8, but it also highlighted a few issues with the experience. As Roger Wade of Boxpark once said, 'Shopping online is like watching fireworks on TV'.

So the natural extension of shopping and sociability in the same space has blossomed. Brands like Petersham Nurseries and Daylesford Organic in London, R&W Guild in New York and Eataly globally have become commercial destinations equally reliant on shoppers and lunchtime guests.

The style of the food is often related to the concept of the store and when it is it's truly beneficial for both customer and store. Whether that theme is organic, geographic or stylistic, when it's in synergy it's as natural a partnership as you could conceive.

At Portfolio N8 we take that idea one step further, as with a few very intimate brands like ‘Apartment on the Line’, initially launched in NY and since opened in LA, you can browse our product by appointment in the home where it is curated. There's no restaurant, but there is great coffee.

The Apartment On The Line, LA

R&W Guild, NY

Petersham Nurseries, London