SHOWFIELDS

About SHOWFIELDS

Showfields positions itself as a physical retail platform, dubbing itself "the most interesting store in the world," designed primarily for direct-to-consumer and digitally native brands. The company was founded in 2017 by Tal Zvi Nathanel, Amir Zwickel, and Katie Hunt, officially launching its first location in 2019. Nathanel, the CEO, previously founded the co-living company MyTown, which was acquired by Common, providing him with experience in real estate and community-building ventures.

The core of Showfields' business model is to provide a solution for online brands seeking a physical retail presence without the substantial capital investment and operational complexities of opening their own stores. It operates as a "retail-as-a-service" platform, where brands pay a membership fee to have their products featured in Showfields' department store-like locations. This model allows brands to engage with customers in a dynamic, curated environment that combines elements of retail, art, and community events. The stores are designed to be experiential, featuring art installations and a constantly rotating selection of brands to encourage discovery and repeat visits.

Showfields generates revenue through these brand partnership fees, which cover services such as store design, staffing, and sales analytics. The company also earns a commission on sales made in-store. Initially, the company saw significant growth, raising a total of $9.6 million by 2021 and expanding to locations in New York, Miami, and Washington D.C. However, the business faced considerable challenges, leading to the closure of its flagship New York City store in 2023 and a subsequent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in October 2023. The filing revealed liabilities between $10 million and $50 million, with significantly fewer assets. Despite these setbacks, the company aimed to restructure and continue operating its other locations.