With all this lovely Spring weather in Rotterdam, we’re reminded that Summer is just a few weeks away! We don’t know about you, but for us Summer signals time to look out for a shiny new bike.

Are you looking for more than just a standard bike? Roetz-Bikes are made from a combination of recycled parts and additional, durable materials. They are robust city bikes with a cool, retro look. Roetz is a young brand with a mission. Believing that it’s possible to reduce waste and make beautiful bikes at the same time.

Roetz bikes are a fantastic sustainable option for a number of reasons:

* Re-use of all components

* Construction from Natural Materials

* Sheltered Employment

Did you guys know you can custom-order your very own Roetz bike down at Hubshop?

Simply pop on down to Hubshop to check out the models we have on display, take your measurements & your brand new Roetz will be delivered right to your door within 2 weeks!
Couldn’t be easier, right?

To keep up to date with both Leefstand & Hubshop happenings, join our online community on Twitter & Facebook!
F: Leefstand Group / Hubshop
T: @thehubshop / @charlottepaull / @alexdangerfalk

Happy Hump Day, friends! It seems the sun has disappeared this week in Rotterdam… Here’s a few fantastic links from near & far to brighten your Wednesday!

This week we’ve been busy meeting exciting, new designers & catching up with exisiting ones…

Check out these wonderful crawling shelves from Dutch designer Ka-Lai Chan.

 Excellently cute homewares from MineheartlovableDesign – we’re especially loving the Mineheart Blue Sky Shade lamp(!!)

Swedish design company Pretty Pegs produces these delightful furniture accessories; designed to vamp up your regular IKEA pieces…

Danielle LaPorte, of Firestarter Sessions & Whitehot Truth, wrote this great piece on getting emotional about money.

We’re dying to stay at this sweet little hotel in Prague!

Last week we posted about the importance of shopping local (a huge thank you to everyone who made the Cash Mob at Hubshop a success! You guys are fantastic!); & what better way to practice than by visiting Rotterdamse Oogst?

It’s so fantastic to see more temporary projects popping up all over Rotterdam – have you guys been to Honing, a too-cute pop-up cafe?!

While we’re on the topic of local events, we’re kind of thrilled at the idea of Rooftop Pizzas at Bird. Uh, yes please?!

We’ll see you soon, guys – stay brilliant!

You might remember last week’s Designer Dinsdag post as wrapping up our final T-Spot designers (!!). The T-Spot Pop Up has been a brilliant adventure & we want to thank each of you for being part of it with us – a huge thank you to everyone who’s followed our weekly Designer Dinsdag posts & has given us positive feedback! We have to be honest here – we really dig writing these posts. It’s a fantastic way of showcasing the massive variety of designers we know of or work with, & we kind of don’t want to stop! So we’ve decided not to. The DD posts may be a little less regular for the time being, but rest assured we’re working hard to share Rotterdam’s fantastic design talent with you!

Let’s kickstart the week, shall we?

This first un-T-Spot Designer Dinsdag features Chilean designer & maker Paola Varela Marnich, of Handwerken Malu.

Paola relocated to the Netherlands from Chile in 2010; & soon thereafter Handwerken Malu (Malu Crafts, in English – the namesake inspired by Paola’s mother) was born. Paola sought a platform for promoting the traditional craftwork – specifically knitting – of her home country.

Handwerken Malu is a physical representation of the passion & talent for knitting inherent in Paola & her mother, Malu, & three aunts in Chile. Their skills & love for knitting was passed down by their grandmother, la Nona.

Handwerken Malu presents a very special selection of handcrafted wearables; including hats, scarves, baby clothes & a very rad selection of socks (our favourite). Each Handwerken Malu piece is entirely unique & comes with a story – rad, right?

Paola’s mission through Handwerken Malu is to create beautiful knitted pieces, woven with stories & share the joy they create with the rest of the world.

These vivid little happiness gems are available right here at Hubshop, did you know?

Hi, Leefstanders! Have you heard of Vianza? It’s a social platform & marketplace for designers, indie retailers & various suppliers to connect. In addition to this brilliant (& much-needed) platform, there is also a Vianza blog – an excellent resource brimming with tips, advice & inspiration for designers & retailers.

Charlotte was recently invited to write a guest post for the Vianza site, & we thought you guys would enjoy reading it also!

Last year I was thrilled to take over an existing store together with my boyfriend. Between us we have a decent chunk of experience in both the retail  and creative worlds and this was a much-anticipated opportunity to realise our combined dream of creating our dream shop. We’re now the proud owners of Hubshop, a collaborative boutique in Rotterdam, Holland. It’s like a design store with a twist – we’re a platform for supporting and promoting small-scale designers & entrepreneurs. Every day in our new shop is an adventure & a learning curve. Owning and operating your own boutique is extraordinarily rewarding. If you’re new to running a business, it’s equal parts terrifying and elating. It requires your full time attention; not to mention a whole lot of dedication and  passion.

A few ways we make sure our shop is un-passable:

Create Attention-Grabbing Window Displays
I can’t emphasise enough the importance of your shop window display. It’s your constant, 3D advertisement; and if done well, will contribute greatly to the success of your shop.  Your window display is the sphere of interaction between the shop and prospective customers. You only have a few seconds to attract the attention of passers-by and so it’s essential to create an eye-catching display that will pique peoples’ curiosity. Luckily, I adore dreaming up new ideas for our shop window and seeing them come to life – it’s an instantly rewarding creative outlet.

Create a Story With Your Merchandise
This can be as simple as grouping similar products together – think of it as a serving suggestion! This scarf and blouse with that purse. This vintage armoire with those imported Moroccan table runners. You want to showcase your most exciting products in the most flattering way. I’m kind of madly in love with everything in our shop, so this is a constant source of inspiration and creativity.

Balance Your Design Elements
As with all visual merchandising, a combination of basic elements comes into play: colour, visual balance and a focal point. Take into consideration the size of your shop window, the products you want to display and your budget; and be as creative as your imagination allows.

Update Your Window Displays for Special Occasions
Be sure to update your window display to include special occasions and holidays (Easter, Christmas, etc). Most importantly, creating your window display should be fun! Don’t rush the process: take time to think and plan what you want the window display to communicate. Don’t be afraid to play and tweak until you get it just right. Personally, I keep a little sketchbook to scribble down any ideas I have for window displays, or to put photos of other displays I find beautiful.

Great Merchandising Doesn’t End At The Window
Be sure to update your window display to include special occasions and holidays (Easter, Christmas, etc). Most importantly, creating your window display should be fun! Don’t rush the process: take time to think and plan what you want the window display to communicate. Don’t be afraid to play and tweak until you get it just right. Personally, I keep a little sketchbook to scribble down any ideas I have for window displays, or to put photos of other displays I find beautiful.

Create a Perfect Shop Environment
Consider physical factors like lighting and heating and cooling. Regardless of the season, it should be a pleasant experience entering the shop from outdoors. Invest in good quality, lively lighting – and avoid fluorescent lighting like the plague! Nothing is worse than customers having to squint or question if a shop is open because of poor lighting.

Offer Fabulous Customer Service
As you might expect, great customer service is key to making a positive first impression. Find the sweet spot of friendly, approachable and knowledgeable service. There’s a wealth of information available on perfecting customer service – always be open to making improvements.

Take time to build a really great team of staff – they are your greatest asset. Whether this team consists of 2 people or 10, ensure everyone is on the same page as far as customer service & representing your shop to its fullest potential.

Of course, every aspect of your brick & mortar shop will be a work in progress. Be persistent in your desire to make your shop better and brighter; be prepared to give it your constant focus and energy. Most importantly, be sure to enjoy every part of the process!

]]> http://emilianaunderwear.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/emiliana-the-hubshop-rotterdam/ Fri, 13 May 2011 14:57:05 +0000 roseyenglishangel http://emilianaunderwear.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/emiliana-the-hubshop-rotterdam/ It’s official! The box of Emiliana knickers have safely arrived and are now in the Hubshop inside their little box and also displayed around the store! If you are in the Netherlands make sure you check out this amazing shop, it’s a brilliant venue for products from small, ethical projects. www.thehubshop.nl

  Emiliana knickers are very proud that they will soon be available for sale at the amazingly sustainable and eco-entrepreneur friendly shop - The Hubshop  in Rotterdam!

The Hub Shop in Rotterdam is the very first of it’s kind. They are piloting a collaborative store, which caters to craftspeople, designers, inventors and food makers from all over the world, who devote their time to tangible ideas for a better world and who need assistance to publish them.

It facilitates sustainable entrepreneurs by renting them empty cube-like boxes under attractive conditions. Any product or service with a sustainable or social touch can be sold at The Hub Shop.

The Hub Shop is more than a retail shop; it is a platform that really supports (small-scale) social and sustainable initiatives. Next to being a sales channel for these social entrepreneurs, they serve the public with an inspiring meeting place. The Hub Shop has a coffee corner in a relaxing environment in which you can enjoy specialty Fair-trade coffee and delicious snacks.

Very exciting!! If you are in the Netherlands then be sure to check it out!!

Address:  

The Hubshop, Nieuwe Binnenweg, 195b, 3021 GA , Rotterdam, The Nederlands

Website:  http://www.thehubshop.nl

Weblog:  http://thehubshop.blogspot.com