Dive Brief:
- DTC home decor brand The Citizenry on Saturday will open an outpost within Interior Define’s Cherry Creek location in Denver, Colorado, per a release sent to Retail Dive.
- The pairing of the two brands, both owned by interior design services company Havenly, signals a strategy by the parent to increase the brick-and-mortar footprint of The Citizenry.
- The shop-in-shop concept within Interior Define Denver is 665 square feet and is merchandised with a mix of Citizenry’s best-selling classics, including handcrafted rugs, pillows and bedding. Many pieces will be stocked for a cash-and-carry experience, while rugs and larger art pieces will be on display to see in-person before ordering.
Dive Insight:
As Interior Define has 13 locations nationwide, its Denver store was chosen because it ranks as one of The Citizenry’s top 10 markets for purchasing. If successful, the plan is to open more shop-in-shops and stand-alone concepts, per the company.
“We plan to test and learn and will let customers’ feedback guide the long-term strategy,” Lee Mayer, co-founder and CEO of Havenly, said in an email. “Short term: You will likely see us test more shop-in-shops because we already have the real estate and can move quicker. Long term? We’d love to explore more stand-alone stores for The Citizenry.”
Founded in 2014 by Rachel Bentley and Carly Nance, The Citizenry has one stand-alone location it opened in 2020 in the SoHo neighborhood of New York.
Mayer said Havenly has acquired complementary brands in order to offer consumers a one-stop shopping experience to go with the company’s design services.
The Citizenry was acquired by Havenly in February of this year for an undisclosed sum. It marked the third acquisition by Havenly in the last two years, having purchased DTC home furnishings brand The Inside in early 2022 and Interior Define in 2023.
Prior to it being acquired Interior Define ran into financial trouble in 2022. The company in January 2023 announced in an Instagram post that its “go-forward business,” which included its e-commerce site and select Interior Define Studios, would continue on, while other parts of its business would be liquidated as it made Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors a voluntary alternative to the traditional bankruptcy process. By February 2023 Interior Define was under “new ownership”.
“There is some overlap in furniture categories, but we love the idea of blending the brands' aesthetics and offerings in complementary ways,” Mayer said. “While Interior Define overdelivers on comfort, functionality, and a broad array of options, The Citizenry's assortment provides a curated selection of high-design pieces for those looking to blend in special, artisanal details into their spaces.”
The Citizenry claims that 100% of its products are made with a fair trade process audited and guaranteed by the World Fair Trade Organization. It sources products from 3,938 artisan partners in 23 countries worldwide, including weavers, ceramic artists, woodworkers, sculptors and spinners, per the company.
Clarification: This story has been updated with information provided by the company after the story published regarding its claims around its fair trade process.
