Gilbert Yeung and Cindy Yeung, founders of brother & sister concept cafe, believe that coffee, pricey jewelry and trendy fashion make a perfect match. Provided to China Daily

Concept boutiques are becoming an increasingly popular way to get a fashion and lifestyle message out to savvy shoppers. Elizabeth Kerr reports.

When you think about it, can you think of a better way to combine two of Hong Kong's four major industries? In a city where dinner and movie has been overtaken by dinner and shopping in some quarters the concept of shopping has been making considerable headway. Everything from upscale boutique retailers to low-key coffee and bookshop dealers have found a way to combine the city's two favorite pastimes. Though gut instinct wants to lump mall food courts in with these, concept stores are far from spots where weary shoppers can take a quick break. The idea behind the concept store - which first popped up in Europe in the mid-1990s - varies, depending on who you talk to. So what exactly is it that these stores hope to accomplish?

It's no secret that Hong Kong consumers are all about exclusivity. If it's rare, new or, ideally, limited edition, shoppers here are going to sit up and take notice. Look at what happened when McDonald's introduced its Snoopy toys in 1998. Long lines and a black market erupted. H & M's recent launch on the back of a Madonna-designed line resulted in ... more long lines extending from the Queen's Road flagship. In both cases, gimmicks led to increased sales, but what happens when you start dealing in high fashion?

A stalwart on the retailing scene in Hong Kong is agnes b., a high-end label here but something akin to Giordano Ladies in its native Europe. One of the first to hop on the concept bandwagon, agnes b. has cafes in most of its shops; you have to walk past the merchandise to get a salad. The French chain isn't the only player on the concept landscape anymore. Recent additions include brother & sister cafe boutique owned by Gilbert (founder of dragon-i) and Cindy Yeung (a director of the Emperor Group) in Tsimshatsui's 1881 building, Alfie's in the new Alfred Dunhill Home store in Prince's Building and Forest Bird in SoHo. None of these is a hippie-esque, ramshackle book bar.

The Yeungs clearly believe that coffee, pricey jewelry and trendy fashion was a match made in heaven. Oddly, brother & sister, according to a recent press release, does indeed harken back to the idea of a place to take a load off after traipsing around a department store. "Complete with invitingly large, plush leather chairs and sofas, a menu of mouth-watering comfort food and a chic cocktail bar, it's an ideal place for in-the-know travelers and locals alike to relax and recharge after their shopping." Whether or not anyone will make a purchase is yet to be determined.

Ask Ulrike Pohl over at SoHo's "multi-directional boutique" Forest Bird whether people are buying she replies with a quick and hearty, "They do. Thank God." Pohl, the vivacious designer (Hausach Couture), architect and now retail director stocks jewelry, art, obscure clothing labels like Bruno Pieters and Mongrels in Common in the six-week-old shop. But before you get to any of it, you'll pass the coffee bar serving (admittedly) delicious espresso made by a swarthy Italian barista. Downstairs the solitary fitting room is a corner draped with a heavy black velvet curtain.

Forest Bird meshes with Hong Kong's penchant for exclusivity but that didn't factor into Pohl's snap decision to open up shop. Her motives were more experimental, with Pohl unapologetically hawking personal favorites. "Everything here is what I personally like. I have a lot of these things in my house. I like sustainable and organic products. I'm a freak when it comes to details. When you have a nice dress, what's the point of not having a silk lining? Hong Kong is ready for this kind of thing," she states. The "thing" she's referring to is upmarket, unique lifestyle goods. She will admit that the cafe and the retail complement each other and she is indeed running a business, but if people shop, it's a bonus.

Pohl has stuck her neck out in a tough market, packing up and relocating nine months ago, but Dunhill isn't really on shaky ground. Kee Club just opened Alfie's, inside the new Central flagship and CEO Christian Rhomberg is more willing to admit that, ideally, the boisterous, bloke-y British-style pub will impact the retail end - which includes tailoring services. "With 'importing' a trendy eatery and bar and a renowned wine merchant (Berry Bros & Rudd) into the store we will definitely attract an extended regular clientele - and not only men; Alfie's is very much appealing also to a sophisticated female clientele, and women are traditionally important buyers of men's fashion."

So why Hong Kong? At a time when most internationally renowned brands are looking toward the mainland for their future success, how is it that Hong Kong - a stone's throw from cyber-hip Tokyo - is the location of choice for ultra stylish concept stores?

"Concept stores are more than just traditional brand stores. Concept stores focus on a wider range of luxury and lifestyle products as well as services. Hong Kong's customers are very sophisticated and are generally on the outlook for last new thing," Rhomberg reiterates. He uses Armani Bar as a prime example, that blended fashion, lifestyle and dining when it opened a few years back, and again emphasizes Hong Kong's receptivity to all things ahead of the curve. "We see that there is a trend in the men's fashion industry to provide more specialized shops for the male clientele," he adds.

For the most part, Pohl agrees. Part of the reason she opened Forest Bird here had to do with the absence of the jadedness that she claims pervades in Europe. "People have money, they shop, and they appreciate Western style. They're not as fed up as Europeans, and that (negative) energy isn't here," she explains of the store and the intensely personal merchandising choices Pohl believes fit with the city. "I'm done with Zara and H & M. It's more about individuality. I can sell this because I believe in it. I had a couple in here saying, 'This is so nice. It's so different,' and that's the point ... Hong Kong has had it all for a long time so it can move on."

The cafe and the retail complement each other in Forest Bird concept store.

(HK Edition 07/01/2010 page4)