Less Rules, More Freedom: Why Multi-brand Stores Have More Fun

Luxury fashion might be in a moment of self-reflection due to over exposure and changing economic realities, and retail feels like it’s rewriting its own playbook —meanwhile multi-brand stores are the ones with the freedom to rewrite the rules.

In a world of fashion & retail sameness, the multi-brand store has a competitive advantage. It’s where discovery happens. Where shoppers explore, play, and style themselves — not just walk out looking like they’ve stepped off one brand’s runway. With no single brand dictating the mood or message, Multi-brand stores can be more original, should be more surprising, and ultimately quite successful because they lead with creativity and freedom.

Multi-brand buyers, too, can be the quiet rebels of the industry. They defend creative freedom. They know when to say no to the heavy-handed minimums that big brands try to push. Because power, in this space, belongs to those who stay independent. Flexibility is their advantage — no corporate layers to slow down a good idea. When inspiration strikes, they move.

Walk into stores like SUGAR in Arezzo or Bjork in Florence and you’ll feel it instantly — the taste, the individuality. You leave with something that’s yours alone. No one else knows what’s in that shopping bag. In an era where global shopping streets all blur into one, multi-brand stores feel special. They’re also where the next big thing often begins. The best way to find new labels? Step into a multi-brand store and start exploring. I think back to my days at The Corner Berlin, when being a buyer meant constant movement — showroom to showroom, Balenciaga to Acne Studios, ending the day at Rick Owens. Each stop was filled with inspiration. That same excitement carried into the store, where customers explored our edits with the same curiosity. They mixed labels, layered stories, and wore their individuality.

That’s the joy of the multi-brand mindset: no rules, just freedom — and a lot of fun.