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Norka Futon only closed their doors on January 31st, but the retail space at 780 North High Street won’t be sitting empty for long. The Voodoo Denim Lounge will be opening up in that space in mid-March and bringing a variety of clothing brands to Short North shoppers.
We recently caught up with Partner Jimmy Schaub to see what we can expect to find in the new store.
Walker Evans: First tell us a bit about the location, and why you picked it?
Jimmy Schaub: We picked it because we want to be a destination store, and the Short North has created the only urban lifestyle shopping experience in Columbus. Everyone involved with Voodoo has been involved in Short North area for a while now, and wouldn’t want to do this in any other area. We believe in the growth of Columbus and are excited to have a small hand in that! The vibe and layout of the store are unique to anything that’s available in Columbus at this time and we are excited to share that with everyone. We are taking over the old Norka spot which is a huge open space with lots of room to do some fun stuff with our layout.
WE: What caused you to want to go into retail?
JS: We all have a passion for the fashion industry, and it’s fun to be able to introduce some new lines to Columbus. We also have Kevin Van Order (previously of Dr Mojoe) as a part of our team and I think that anyone who has ever spoken with him can just feel his excitement for the denim industry. It really is contagious and I believe we’ve got a great team on our hands.
WE: What sort of lines or styles are you going to be carrying?
JS: We will specialize in premium denim but will also carry other types of apparel and accessories. We are excited to bring Vintage 1 to Columbus. Other lines we will be carrying are J Brand, AG, William Rast, Prvcy, Seven for all Mankind, Siwy, Splendid, Ella Moss, Scotch & Soda, Plain Jane, Diesel, Hudson, JJ Winters Handbags, Tart, Alternative Apparel, Badcock and several others.
WE: What type of customers are you catering toward?
JS: Not to sound too cliche, but we really are focusing on having something for everyone. Our product will be for all ages, different lifestyles, and different price levels. We want anyone to be able to walk into our store and be able to find something for all types of occasions.
WE: When is the opening date scheduled and are there any grand opening events in the works?
JS: Our target opening date will be either March 11th or March 18th, depending on construction. We will be having a grand opening event, and we will have that information on that soon!
More information can be found online at VoodooDenimLounge.com.
YESSS
If there’s a skull in the logo, it can’t be all that bad. ;)
I don’t understand trying to run a boutique with all discount brands nor do I see any passion for denim here.. ?
How is this so different from Dr. Mojoe and G&Co., both of which couldn’t survive?
Retail is a tough business these days, and to be opening a store now. I hope it works well for them!
As a suggestion, the logo could use a little work. I’m not sure the motif on the skull says anything about Voodoo or is even remotely related, but it’s too small to tell for sure. Hope it’s not just a piece of clipart.
I think the logo adds spunk! Cant wait to check it out! Dr. Mojo had several locations..they must have been doing something right till they messed up.
greenhouse1014 Says: How is this so different from Dr. Mojoe and G&Co., both of which couldn’t survive?
It sounds like Mojoe & G&Co had a lot of other problems that caused their closings. I don’t think it was for lack of sales, from what I’ve read.
I’m glad that the Norka store front won’t be empty much longer.
G&Co was purchased. Mojoe was a lot of reasons. This neighborhood has been amazing the last couple of years, so you cannot really apply the macro retail data to it. Now is probably one of the smartest times to open a business, retail or otherwise. Recessions are generally a huge time for entrepreneurs for a few reasons. Yes people get the spark to go for their dreams sometimes by being put in unfortunate circumstances, but there are uncommon opportunities. For Voodoo, for instance, one of the best spaces in the neighborhood opened up after being full for a long time. The same thing for the company that is opening in the old Mojoe space. Not to mention, if you have access to cash right now, that cash goes pretty far. So any operation with a good business plan and capital can position themselves really competitively.
@ Tigertree
Who’s picking up the old Mojoe spot?
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I wanted to clear up a couple of things that have been floating around town about G&Co and Dr. Mojoe. First and foremost, Mojoe did not purchase G&Co. I don’t see how that’s possible with Mojoe being $1 million in debt. The truth is, that G&Co was going to merge with Mojoe under certain circumstances. However, Mojoe did not uphold their part of the deal so G&Co got out before the whole house crumbled. Unfortunately, G&Co had closed their store (in hopes of merging) right before things got bad. G&Co had nothing to do with the demise of Mojoe. I was behind the scenes for a lot of this and know this to be fact.
There is a retail chain going into the old Mojoe space, from what i hear. Can’t remember the name though.
As for Voodoo Denim Lounge, it is currently under construction in the old Norka Futon space and should be open around the 18th of this month. The focus will be on premium denim, with something for everyone. The theme will be an old-school NYC, CBGB’s type feel to it, with vintage posters, furniture and pool tables. Trust me, it’s going to be incredible.
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