Travel retailer DFS Group unveiled its rebranded downtown stores in Guam and Saipan last week sporting the ‘T Galleria by DFS’ logo – with a ‘first ever’ dedicated space for cutting edge travel wear and travel accessories.

 

Along with the rebrand have been upgrades which include a more extensive range of products from 300 top brands in the worlds of beauty, watches/jewellery, fashion/accessories, wine/spirits, food and gifts plus new in-stores fashion and beauty services. These include brow shaping, make-up lessons, trend-setting sessions and full makeovers.

 

At the Guam store (main image) customers can indulge in a fully refurbished shopping environment, two years in the making. Similar upgrades will also be introduced to the Saipan branch, with construction starting in 2015.

 

NEW MULTI-BRAND CONCEPT

The Guam T Galleria now features a multi-brand concept space, the company’s first ever dedicated retail area specialising in cutting edge travel wear and travel accessories.

 

“The vision behind the new facility was to create a space exclusively focused on offering the latest and most interesting products for life on the go from across our extensive brand portfolio,” says outgoing President, Global Merchandising at DFS, Harold Brooks. “We also wanted to make it easier for customers to discover new brands and to shop across brands in key categories.”

 

The multi-brand space houses a broad range of wardrobe staples, such as belts and wallets. The men’s section remains heavily focused on luggage and carry-ons, including totes, briefcases and cross-body bags. Extensive selections of phone cases, bracelets and coin purses are also on offer.

 

Luggage and carry-ons – totes and mini-bags in particular – feature in the women’s section, as do affordable accessories from both established and niche contemporary brands, ranging from DVF to Jack Spade to Rebecca Minkoff.

 

“Arranging products in this way introduces a sense of discovery,” says Lynette Johnson (left in picture below), Managing Director, Mid-Pacific, DFS Group. “And that’s what T Galleria by DFS is all about: providing the experiences, indulgences and adventures to fuel discovery in ways that make sense for travellers.”

 

Commenting on the rebranded stores, Philippe Schaus (right in picture below), DFS Group Chairman and CEO, says: “It’s with great pleasure that we bring our ‘T Galleria by DFS’ concept to Guam and Saipan, The rebranding and development programme, which we’re bringing to all downtown branches, clearly demonstrates our continued commitment to delighting our key customers through shopping journeys that cater directly to their needs.”

 

From left: Lynette Johnson, Managing Director, Mid-Pacific, DFS Group; Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo and Philippe Schaus, DFS Group Chairman and CEO.

 

 

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

DFS is also engaging with local island communities. Working with Guam’s Island Beautification Task Force, the company has designated 10 bus stops as ‘T-Stops’, which it then invited local non-profit organisations to paint, with the support of DFS funding. The groups behind the first, second and third best non-profit proposals each received $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000 respectively.

 

Meanwhile in Saipan, DFS is supporting Tipiyeew Village, a recreation of an early settlement designed to promote indigenous traditions and crafts of the Carolinian and Chamorro people. In partnership with Saipan’s Office of Carolinian Affairs, DFS has invested in the construction of the first two houses in the village, which will eventually be populated by numerous structures where workshops and demonstrations will showcase Carolinian and Chamorro arts and traditions. These include canoe building, wood carving, beading and Mwar floral arrangements.

 

T-IN-ART

To celebrate the arrival of T Galleria in Guam and Saipan, DFS has introduced its T-in-Art programme, through which the retailer engages with local artists to create large T sculptures, influenced by each artist’s work and inspired by each destination. Five local artists were approached in each destination, leading to the creation of T-in-Art pieces in a variety of media, from batik to graffiti to wood.