Fashion retailers incorporating dining choices in stores

Clothing stores have delved into a new trend: a gustatory one.

Last spring, luxury brand Burberry opened Thomas's, an all-day café at its London flagship store. All-American brand Ralph Lauren, meanwhile, launched Ralph's Coffee on the second floor of its Fifth Avenue branch. Armani also has more than 10 restaurants and cafés in various locations throughout the world.

Hackett London, a UK-based menswear retailer, opened a club-style gin bar at its Regent Street flagship in October 2013. According managing director Vicente Castellano, the bar was meant to boost dwell time since men are generally not too keen on shopping.

British fashion retailer Wolf & Badger also observed that there was between 20 and 30 percent increase in footfall ever since they opened Raw Press, a healthy juice bar located in the basement of their Dover Street branch.

According to trend forecasting firm WGSN, retailers open restaurants to entice customers to visit, especially these days when online shopping is commonplace. By incorporating experiential elements, dwell time is expected to increase, which may lead to growth in sales.

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