May 04, 2020
Ari Langsdorf - The Foundation Showroom 👕💰
This episode is with Ari Langsdorf who is one of the co-founders of The Foundation showroom; which to date represents but not limited to Kappa, Planes, BBC, Icecream, Magnaframe, DFNS, Aarke, and Rokit. Ari talks about his beginnings at Polo and PRPS, the lost art of retail math, and the importance of knowing the numbers to project your next season. He also delves into the subtle art of holding a hanger and closing a sale.
The clothing industry can be a very tricky arena to navigate. Many brands come and go for various reasons. One of those reasons they didn't understand the art of the sale. This was a very insightful convo as Ari delved into the importance of not only knowing the numbers but the importance of the way present to the retailer. It was great to hear about the math behind the sales. There was a time where the salesmen were all about the numbers and the business was very transactional. Your store was an account and there really wasn't a conversation or personal attachment. This relationship also trickled down to the consumer. Now things are very different and all touchpoints of the product are becoming more and more experiential. It is more ethereal and about catching a vibe and making Instagrammable moments of long lines to limited-edition releases. Even though that may be true the math still means a lot and fortifies a business the same way it did well over a decade ago.