Bogotá’s ‘Concept Stores’ Showcase Colombia’s Emerging Brands
Bogotá’s ‘Concept Stores’ Showcase Colombia’s Emerging Brands
Bogotá is home to the nation’s largest mall, a massive convention center, and a population of more than two million people. What it’s also known for — both to visitors and residents — is its vibrant, creative atmosphere.
Since moving to the city in 1999, Bogotá has been home to a remarkable number of brands — from established ones like Puma, to the more recent wave of startups.
To celebrate this, this past March Bogotá’s Consejo Nacional de Industria y Empresarial (CONIE) launched the ConCon (Concept Stores) Project — a public-private partnership designed to showcase Colombian companies and their products to the world.
As a part of the CONIE’s vision, the ConCon Project, which ran from April 2 to June 22, showcased Colombia’s burgeoning brands at four large-scale venues in the city:
As CONIE’s CONCon Coordinator, I recently sat down with members of the ConCon team to discuss the project, Colombian startups, and Bogotá’s emerging, creative attitude.
What makes a concept store different from any other?
José Arroyo: Concept stores bring Colombia-made products to the streets. We have created a series of spaces that visitors to the city will see from the comfort of their homes, where they can sit down, relax, and experience the city. Visitors can explore, buy, and take a virtual tour of our booths, or come in and interact with us in real time. And they will be able to buy products directly from our locations (with payment via credit card or PayPal) and from our online store.
So what does that mean?
José Arroyo: We are taking on a series of challenges. First, we are creating a market for Colombian products in our city. Second, we are attracting the attention of travelers, tourists, and locals in our city and region to the concept stores we have created. Finally, we are encouraging people to try our products.
We are creating a market for Colombian products in our city.
We are attracting the attention of travelers, tourists, and locals
