A frontrunner in sustainability since its inception in 2004, VEJA continues to innovate, also within the realm of retail. Spawning from the notion that shoes were very easily discarded by consumers when damaged or worn out, the sneaker brand’s started a recycling project, and at a later stage launched repair stations on the premises of Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris and at VEJA stores in Bordeaux, Berlin, Madrid, and at one point, there was even a repair station inside a movable container. And now, the company has upped the ante, inaugurating the VEJA General Store concept in the French capital’s bohemian-chic Canal St.-Martin area. Situated a stone’s throw away from Centre Commercial and Centre Commercial Kids, two affiliated retail spaces, the new store occupies a 100 sqm. (1,076 sq.ft.) unit on the ground floor of a six-storey residential building dating from 1850.
The interior design, created by the VEJA‘s in-house design team in collaboration with local architecture practice Alors Studio, sees an understated yet inviting setting anchored by an L-shaped service terrazzo service counter with concrete top. While the VEJA General Store mainly repairs sneakers and shoes, of any brand that is, there’s also a tailor present who mends apparel pieces. Behind the counter a wall-mounted grid of dark timber and metal offers storage for shoes, while an additional large storage unit presents the many products on offer, such as books, furniture, socks, shoe care products, laces, toolboxes, cleaning items, and stationery. The tightly curated brand features only responsible brands, including DSPTCH, Caran d’Ache, Anonymous Ism, Public Supply and Snow Peak. Mind you, the VEJA General Store is powered by a renewable energy supplier. © superfuture.com
VEJA General Store
11 rue de Marseille (Canal St.-Martin)
75010 Paris
Telephone +33 1 40343212
Mon-Sat 11am-8pm
Sun 2pm-7pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
