Scoop Scopes Out New 'Swing Shop' Store Model

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Scoop is testing out a new retail model in its old clearance space at 875 Washington St. in SoHo. Under the new plan, the "swing shop" will change its merchandise six times a year, reconcepting each time to go along with whatever is in stock. The 770-square-foot shop used to be called Scoop It Up, but at the moment its wares include sparkly black cocktail and evening dresses by designers like Vera Wang, Alice & Olivia, and Phillip Lim, so it's changed its name to Scoop After Dark.

By the end of January, Scoop After Dark will switch to a new Scoop shop. Ideas put out by WWD include a Scoop Beach concept for swimwear, a venue to show off new designers, or even a spring version of the After Dark idea. Scoop's president and CEO Susan Davidson says she has not yet decided what the plan will be, though she does realize she's running out of time.

Davison says she has no intention of changing what the Scoop brand stands for. "I want it to evolve and stay true to its customer. It’s modern, fun, feminine and fashionable," she said, prompting us to wonder if anyone in the history of the world has ever described their shop as old, boring, mannish, and out of style.
· Scoop Opens 'Swing Shop' [WWD]