Analysis of Carnaby Street vs Mayfair

Our task was to research various London areas and compare and contrast them. I travelled to London specifically to Carnaby Street and Mayfair. As I have never been to Mayfair before, my very first impression was that Mayfair is all about luxury and premium brands. At every corner I came across high-end fashion brands including Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Prada or Saint Laurent to name a few. In every single store there was a doorman what to me evoked a feeling that those stores were not intended for everyone but rather being exclusive for more wealthy customers. What's more, some of the stores didn't have much glass what again made them look more luxurious. As for visual merchandising it was really appealing in most cases and display windows being perfect in tiny details posed a strong promotional tool to attract attention and further seduce customers to walk in.

Chanel store in Mayfair.

Burberry store window.

Louis Vuitton display window.

Salvatore Ferragamo store.

Though, what appeared to be the most striking and interesting to me about Mayfair was when I saw Abercrombie & Fitch store located in a historical and impressive building. At first, it seemed to me quite odd that the brand which I do not associate with luxury to any extent decided to locate their store in a place surrounded only by high-fashion brands. However, when you dive in deep, it becomes obvious that the location which the brand chose for the store is clever of them as it demonstrates that Abercrombie & Fitch aims to position their brand as more premium so they want to influence the way customers perceive their brand image.
Considering the store environment, it is essential not to overlook the fact that when I walked in I felt as if I entered a sort of a museum or a gallery. The store was massive, the light was dark and all apparel looked like it was presented as some exhibits rather than something you can purchase. Actually, there's no doubt the store interior did look premium yet a bit overwhelming as well. Personally, I wouldn't consider it as the most comfortable place to shop. However, the strategy itself the brand applied to reposition themselves is impressive and it is what's called a retail theatre being all about making shopping experience more unique and outstanding.

The entrance to Abercrombie & Fitch store.

Abercrombie & Fitch store's interior in Mayfair.

The next destination was Carnaby Street which historically used to be the most famous part of London in terms of fashion spirit. Contemporary, on Carnaby Street there are lots of high-street brands such as American Apparel or The Kooples. Carnaby Street is more about retail mix not meaning only fashion necessarily. In contrast to Mayfair, this retail area is also more diverse considering the size of shops - there are smaller and much bigger ones as well. What I especially like about that place is that when you walk down the Carnaby Street you really feel that characteristic welcoming vibe and a sort of street style spirit.

Carnaby Street welcoming sign.

American Apparel store on Carnaby Street.

The Kooples store on Carnaby Street.

Vans display window.

To sum up the differences between those two retail areas which are Mayfair and Carnaby Street, the basic dissimilarity between them is that Mayfair is all about premium brands whereas Carnaby Street is more about high-street brands. As a consequence, in Mayfair you can find good quality, premium fabrics and more impressive tailoring whereas Carnaby Street offers fast-fashion instead. In addition, Carnaby Street is more contemporary in terms of architecture. However, stores on Carnaby Street are less spacious comparing to those in Mayfair. Analysing a location of stores in Mayfair they are more spread out what creates a feeling of space and thus the premium area. Furthermore, considering visual merchandising stores in Mayfair present a higher level of performance focusing on details that are to make a displayed outfit even more attractive.

Although those two retail areas are very different from one another and thus give a customer distinct shopping experience, they both create their own unique atmosphere thanks to which needs of various types of consumers might be fulfilled.

By Gabriela Kaszub