Adjusting standard retail practices for nonstandard consumers: How punk and subcultural fashion boutiques find success and build community

Abstract

This research analyses the merchandising practices used to create a punk retail environment and shopping experience, distinct from more mainstream forms of consumption available simultaneously, as well as to document the merchandising history of United States punk style development, which is not widely known. Through primary interviews and archival data, this research discerns the practices that set these boutiques apart from their merchandising counterparts, Do It Yourself, or mass market chains. Analysis reviewed how these boutiques reconciled the challenge of appealing to critical consumers who were otherwise poised to potentially not need or want their services as scene members were a niche market segment that leaned anti-capitalist. Owner involvement, employee knowledge and retention, visual display, careful object selection and non-merchandising interaction with regional and national punk scenes are significant considerations. These stores provided community, commerce and educational spaces that projected subcultural authenticity through their business methods and cultural awareness. While not without some criticism of packaging a caricature of a lifestyle, overall the boutiques’ attempts at thoughtful practices led to consumer loyalty and business longevity, gaining market success alongside scene approval.