Field Notes From Berlin's Retail Scene
Field Notes From Berlin's Retail Scene
Graffiti culture, a love of vinyl, industrial settings, and a love of sneakers; we tour Berlin's retail scene.
ICYMI
Field Notes is a content series where we explore the luxury retail landscape in cities worldwide. They’re meant to be anecdotal; we’re sharing and observing what we see.
The idea is that we’ll take a neighbourhood or city with a strong luxury retail presence and dissect what we like about the retail establishments there.
PS – Check out our Fields Notes from Manchester.
Got an idea? Let us know where we should visit next!
Unlike the rain and wind we’ve endured for (seemingly endless) weeks in the UK, spring in Berlin will greet you with cloud-free skies and the sun sitting high in the sky. Naturally, it’ll get you outdoors, ready to enjoy the city’s bars, eateries, and its best retail stores.
Every corner of Berlin is rich in culture, or perhaps counter-culture, that makes the city an arbiter for “cool.” It’s this creative spirit that lends itself to the strength of its retail scene, and it’s status as a New Luxury spot.
While many of its newer stores - like Supreme - struggle to edge away from their commercialised feel, exposed brick, concrete, strip lighting, exposed wiring, and metal furnishing are characteristic of the city, adding a distinct rawness to the shopping experience.
Curation across the city is indicative of the taste levels at play; none of the products within rotation feel wastefully selected, while providing a stream of options for fashion devotees and casual shoppers alike.
Whether your planning a trip to experience the city’s celebrated nightlife, explore its rich history, or enjoy cheap beers beneath the sun, you won’t want to miss out on Berlin’s exciting retail scene.
Voo Store
If you love contemporary designer clothing, there’s every chance you’ve heard of Voo Store.
Where London has Liberty, Berlin has Voo. Without doing much at all, it’s enticing; you’ll immediately notice its scale as you walk onto the courtyard that houses the space. Upon entry, the exposed concrete walls that bare cracks that take on a decorative appeal build an industrial aesthetic that contrasts yet complements the beautiful garments, fragrances, and accessories found throughout.
Niche, luxury-smelling fragrances sit alongside candles and books, while designer and performance sunglasses are coupled next to a wall, naturally lit by a large window.
Towards the rear of the store, you’ll find an impeccable selection from brands like Jacqumues, Acne Studios, Our Legacy, and an array of other New Luxury must-haves for men and women. Further down, towards the fitting and stock rooms, on-trend sneakers and footwear from ASICS to Prada complete the collection.
For those looking to fill their pantry or indulge in a bite to eat, Voo also sells a selection of bottled wines and beverages right next to its in-store cafe, which creates a social experience.
Like the store, every member of staff is inviting and effortlessly dressed. Everything about Voo speaks to the city’s cool factor.
HHV
Despite only being a quick visit due to arriving minutes before the store was closing, the staff at HHV remained welcoming, allowing the use of the changing rooms without rushing you along.
This created a friendly, warm, and comfortable shopping experience that made browsing all the more enjoyable.
The line-up of brands, which included everything from POP Trading to Daily Paper felt like a more curated take on what END. has to offer. Everything was curated perfectly throughout the well-lit space, with movement between styles and categories feeling like a natural progression towards the heart of the store.
What separates HHV from similar streetwear imprints is its love of vinyl culture. In the front-most corner of the store, directly next to the large street-facing windows, you’ll find a sizeable collection of records, where the last remaining customers of the day were congregated, flicking through crates of music.
Superconscious
If you’re looking for some of the more niche overseas brands you might find amongst the heavy arsenals of END. or Dover Street Market, Superconscious is the place to go.
From the outside and within, the store bears a pretty barebones aesthetic; most of the furnishing and foundations are white – including the self-branded neon light in the window that invites you in – allowing the products to do all the talking.
Nothing about the store, staff, or product selection is overwhelming, making for a leisurely experience that encourages you to take your time and really appreciate what’s on offer.
Graphic tees and embroidered caps feel like somewhat of a speciality within the store, with Superconscious’ in-house products sitting alongside the likes of Online Ceramics and POSHBRAIN.
GATE194
Sometimes it’s the stores you stumble upon by accident that end up being one of your favourites. That sentiment is certainly true for GATE194.
Tucked away in an open courtyard, the first thing that catches your attention is a concept car that looks straight out of Mad Max. This sets the tone for the retail experience which is split across two parallel spaces.
The first feels distinctly Berlin; it’s filled with VETEMENTS, Marni, CDG, and more, with Innerraeum’s eye-catching, otherworldly bags being a particularly standout. Items are displayed within an industrial setting; there’s lots of metal, making the dark edge of the pieces in this section feel like relics from a distance space-faring race.
On the opposite end of the courtyard, the atmosphere feels drastically different. Here you’ll find pieces from Casablanca, Stone Island (including Shadow Project), and C.P, alongside an army of BEARBRICKS.
Those that a more risk-averse in their wardrobe might prefer the novelty of the GATE194 concept to the product offering, but either way, the store packs a punch.
Supreme
Supreme Berlin is one of the New York streetwear imprint’s newer stores, having opened its doors once COVID restrictions were rescinded at the tail-end of 2021; when compared with some of the longer-standing storefronts, like London’s Peter Street, its newness is certainly felt.
Approaching the store feels no different to the usual Supreme experience; expect security that maintains a queuing system at the door, and at least a generous handful of customers inside at all times. While you might expect a Berlin store to bear a black exterior, the large space takes on a concrete-like appearance thanks to its grey finish.
Once inside, the modern feel of the space comes to life. Similar to the Milan store, there’s plenty of floor space, separating each category of clothing and accessories across each corner, so as to not overwhelm any area.
The store feels alive, even during its less busy moments, thanks to a large screen above the till, and colourful skate decks that fill the wall space near the fitting rooms. As you’d expect, staff ooze a casual cool, floating around each section eager to assist or engage in casual, friendly dialogue.
OVERKILL
Sneaker shopping doesn’t feel like it used to. Thanks to resellers, the culture has lost much of its charm; until you step foot in OVERKILL.
In a way, stepping into OVERKILL’s store feels like taking a trip back in time by ten (or so) years. Somewhat ironically, sneakers aren’t even the first thing you see when you walk through the large doors; it’s stacks upon stacks of spray cans. OVERKILL leans fully into graff culture, with countless pantones lining the wall – it gives the space an artistic feel while speaking to the cross-cultural power of sneakers.
Parallel to the graff wall, sneakers reach from the ground to the ceiling. You’ll find a heavy selection of heavy hitters and casual must-haves, from the latest from Teddy Santis’ New Balance 990x Made in USA, a hefty line-up of adidas favourites, Kiko Kostadinov’s redefinition of ASICS, and a whole host of Nikes.
The wooden interior and stairs leading up to the stock room make OVERKILL feel like less of a shop and more of an exhibition space; you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a sneakerhead’s storage, finding yourself excited by the pristine layout.
If you’re a sneakerhead who’s tired of what sneaker culture has morphed into through reselling, and want to bring back the feeling that sneaker shopping once brought, this is a must-stop on your next trip to Berlin.
Hungry for more?
If you’re keen to get familiar with some of the best spaces that the global retail scene has to offer, you won’t want to miss out on any of our Field Notes. Subscribe to Commerce Thinking below to see which city we visit next.