(New) Desert Island Stores: Lucy Litwack of Coco de Mer
Here we launch an exciting new series of interviews by Glynn Davis in which he asks leading retailers about their favourite and most memorable stores.
First up is Lucy Litwack, chief executive and owner of Coco de Mer, the retailer of fine lingerie and pleasure accessories. The company has a global online operation and a flagship store in Motcomb Street in London’s Knightsbridge.
The store you remember from childhood?
Retail is in my blood and I grew up with parents who were shopkeepers. So I would say their shops are the most memorable from my childhood. They had two jewellery boutiques, one in Kingston-upon-Thames, called Jewellery Sales and one in Marylebone, in central London, called Alexandrov. I worked in these stores on weekends, they took up so much of my parents’ time (as mine takes up my time now!) and they taught me everything about retail – the importance of good customer service and the personal touch, the need to be a grafter, and above all else to love what you do.
Most inspirational store to your career?
There are so many. Victoria’s Secret in the 1990s – VS stores were only in the USA at this time but their influence was far-reaching and they truly democratised lingerie shopping. The original Myla store in Notting Hill was the first place I saw high-end lingerie and sex toys sold together to women. Santa Maria Novella (an incredible fragrance boutique) in Florence was so much more than just a store – a beautiful adventure. And Colette in Paris. The original concept store which sold everything from fashion to accessories to books to electrical goods – a curated edit of everything that was cool and interesting at the time.
As I always say, product is the souvenir of the experience and these stores were such important experiences for me.
Most frequently used store?
Probably Selfridges. It was one of the first UK department stores to take lingerie seriously and it is such an important flagship store for UK fashion. We launched our wholesale business with them back in 2016 when they created The Body Studio and it was a dream come true to be showcased in their windows. I used to live very close to it and love the fact that you can pick up so many different things there – from designer fashion to birthday cards to brilliant beauty brands. It has huge shoe and lingerie departments (my two loves) and on top of all that it is dog friendly. Perfect!
The store you wished you’d created?
Coco de Mer. Being a brand-with-purpose is so important to me. As a female-founded, female-owned and female-run business, to be able to put women at the centre of everything and empower them to be confident and appreciate how amazing they are is a responsibility that I take very seriously. But I only joined Coco de Mer 10 years ago so I missed out on the previous 12 years of pleasure. Although our online sales grew so much during the pandemic, I opened a new brick & mortar store this year in Knightsbridge because that personal touch is so important to the brand and it is crucial to be able to offer an immersive shopping experience to customers. It’s also a perfect way for me to meet our customers face-to-face and truly understand their needs and desires.
Your overall favourite store?
Maison Assouline – I could while away hours in there. I’ve always been an avid reader, ever since I was a child, and I’ve always loved book stores. Maison Assouline is probably the epitome of book stores. Although you can buy books cheaper online, I’ve always found the staff in bookstores to be so knowledgeable and so interested in sharing that knowledge, and I love to speak to people who are so passionate about what they do and what they sell. When I was a student living in Paris, my love of book shops grew even more as each little boutique there was more beautiful than the next and they really ignited your curiosity and allowed you to enter another world.
The Maison Assouline store on Piccadilly opened in 2014 to celebrate its 20th anniversary and it is an experience that delights all the senses. With dark wood bookcases, a bar, home accessories, and gifts. It is the perfect place to browse.
But what would be my dream store? A book shop combined with a bakery combined with a dog rescue. Now that really would be my favourite store.
The store you’d like to take to the desert island?
Daunt Books in Marylebone. It’s the best neighbourhood book shop, again an immersive experience with so much to see and explore. I could live on a desert island forever with all those books – together with fresh pasta from Lina Stores.
