When stores become full-fledged brands

Between strong artistic direction, hybrid spaces, and narrative projects, stores like Season, KA YO, or The Lab Store redefine outdoor retail. They no longer just sell: they create, tell stories, and bring together a true culture of movement.

Stores no longer simply sell products. They are now shaping their own universe, developing a true artistic direction, and asserting an identity that goes beyond the simple shopping experience. Through creative and community initiatives, some outdoor retail players are redefining the relationship between brands, consumers, and culture.

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Season

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Season

Season: a fully-fledged artistic direction

At Season, selling is just a pretext to tell a story. The Marseille shop cultivates a unique aesthetic, identifiable at first glance, particularly thanks to the work of photographer Axel Doye, whose images convey the DNA of the place: poetic and almost contemplative.
Beyond the staging of its products, Season develops a rare creative approach in the retail landscape. The store designs its own content, such as the short film made for the release of the Puma “Mostro”, as well as collaborations conceived to celebrate the shop's fifth anniversary, notably with Oakley, Roa, or Adidas.
These projects express a desire to go beyond the simple commercial transaction: Season shapes a cultural and aesthetic vision of clothing, where each invited brand aligns with a strong and coherent identity.

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Season

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Season

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KA YO Kitchen

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KA YO Kitchen

KA YO KITCHEN: the experience at the heart of retail

On its side, the Swedish concept store KA YO rethinks the shop as a place of life and meeting. With the opening of KA YO Kitchen on April 24th, the shop takes a new step by creating a space entirely dedicated to running, trail, and outdoor activities. Designed as a "support station for runners," the space brings together performance clothing, technical equipment, and sports nutrition, in partnership with brands like Satisfy, Roa, Arc'teryx, and KA YO Prototype, the store's brand.
But the project does not stop at sales; located in an old restaurant kitchen, with an outdoor space arranged by Snow Peak, the store offers drinks, smoothies, and energy bars to consume before or after the run, while also hosting clubs and training sessions. For Marc Nylander, CEO of KA YO, "it involves getting out on the street, getting closer to the runners."

Through this approach, KA YO Kitchen establishes itself as a true community center, where outdoor culture, performance, and friendliness meet. With its brand KA YO Prototype, the team asserts its desire to go beyond commerce by building a creative and committed identity of its own.

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KA YO Prototype

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KA YO Prototype

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The Lab Store

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The Lab Store

The Labo Store: retail as a narrative laboratory

With its project “Facing the Future”, The Labo Store pushes the boundaries of traditional retail even further. This documentary series in three episodes, imagined and produced by the shop, follows five runners, from beginners to performers, in their preparation for the Berlin Marathon 2025. Guided by artificial intelligence that sets their goals based on their personal data, these athletes experience a unique journey, blending technology, performance, and self-overcoming.
Supported by New Balance, with assistance from Reload and Sporteo, the project illustrates the ability of a store to transform into a creator of inspiring content, at the crossroads of sport, culture, and innovation.
By telling human and inclusive stories, the store demonstrates that the brand experience can be lived well beyond the walls of a boutique.

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The Lab Store

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The Lab Store

Season, KA YO and Le Labo Store share the same belief: a store is no longer defined just by what it sells, but by what it tells, embodies, and transmits. Whether it’s about building a coherent artistic direction, creating community spaces, or producing narrative content, these initiatives reflect a major evolution in outdoor retail: a return to meaning and culture.
In a world where brands seek to reinvent themselves, these projects prove that a store can become a fully-fledged creative actor, capable of bringing together a community, inspiring practices, and advancing the culture of movement.