A men’s boutique offering personalized style advice and quality products online and in-store

Key facts

Sector: Male clothing and accessories
Format: Multi-use retail store; 2,000–3,000 square feet
Year opened: 2012
Store location: Montreal and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, full-function, permanent locations
Number of stores: 2 full-function, permanent stores; 7 new, temporary shops, to be open 12-18 months
Number of countries: 2, Canada and U.S.
Product mix: High-quality men’s fashion and accessories, grooming products, books and magazines, in-store services (barber, bar, style consultants)
Positioning: Clothing collections designed In-house for men aged 20–35

What is it?

Frank & Oak is a fashion retailer for men, which began as a pure play retailer in Canada. The company now has two permanent, full-function locations and seven additional temporary shops in the United States and Canada. Frank & Oak is responsible for dressing two million men through its stores and e-commerce site, as well as its monthly membership program, the Hunt Club.

Why is it innovative?

Leveraging its community via technology is at the core of Frank & Oak’s values, which the retailer has demonstrated successfully time and again, in every aspect of the business. From its store layout to its retail real-estate location strategy, community and technology are at the heart of why customers are satisfied, engaged and loyal.
1/ As part of its real-estate strategy, Frank & Oak empowered customers by inviting them to vote for the top six cities where the next stores would open on a temporary basis for 12-18 months. Votes were cast by ordering a gift card. Based on the feedback, the retailer opened two locations, in Boston and Chicago.

2/ Frank & Oak’s ambassador program, a private network of customers across North America, helps ensure innovation within the merchandise mix. Frank& Oak enables its online community to provide feedback on existing products and new-merch opportunities.

3/ The flagship Toronto store serves as a multi-use space to showcase products, as well as engage customers. The space has served as a special- occasion bar offering whiskey tastings for loyal.

Ebeltoft Group experts’ conclusion:

Given the narrow positioning of this retailer, Frank & Oak required access to a wider base of customers, making e-commerce an ideal channel at the onset. Physical stores, however, enable the company to more fully expose its brand. Indeed, actual in- store customers reflect Frank & Oak’s ideal target, demonstrating that the company has hit its mark. With the addition of mobile, Frank & Oak joins the ranks of omni-channel retailers, providing full-style support on- the-go for Hunt Club members.
The trend is increasing as e-commerce retailers seek to establish physical stores and pop-up shops. Finding the right real-estate mix, performing due diligence for locations prior to entry and a continuous-learning mentality have paved the company’s path to success. Frank & Oak understands and meets customers’ needs, challenges and desires with vertical integration; insights quickly feed into marketing plans and product development; and the flexibility to act quickly is leveraged across the retailer’s operations.
In three short years, Frank & Oak has grown to 2 million members online and half-a-million members on mobile and will continue to see rapid growth