We recently connected with Dustin Lee and have shared our conversation below.
Dustin, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
My business parter, Efren, and I met working for a bicycle company based in Minneapolis. We became fast friends recognizing our mutual love for fashion, music, food and community. During a commute home from work one day we started sharing stories about the selection of men’s products available to us in the Twin Cities. Although the metro has some great options for men’s apparel we felt that there was a opportunity to fill in the gap. I shared with Efren my idea of a men’s retail environment that offer’s brands that may not be as well known, and brands that are more affordable for men in Minnesota. As a former business owner, Efren suggested we toss around some ideas and see what we could come up with. After a year or so of research and traveling the US to study style, retail and a number of brands, Latitude was born. Although a retail space was initially part of the concept, we landed on the idea of a men’s fashion pop up experience. A place where all are welcome. Since we opened in 2018 we have met so many wonderful people in the community who are now not only our customers, but friends.
Dustin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
LATITUDE is a men’s clothing pop up based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our pop up retail experience creates an environment that offers quality men’s apparel while encouraging community and camaraderie. We love clothes, music, food, friends and good times. The brands we choose are a reflection of our core idea; classic, casual, menswear.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
We opened Latitude in the fall of 2018 as a mobile pop up shop. Our first year was full of events at breweries, restaurants, and retail spaces. When the pandemic hit it put us at a standstill and we needed to figure out a way to continue running. At that point we jump started our website and learned quickly how to run an online business. This kept us in business through the pandemic and helped us come out on the other end with both physical and online sales options.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
We rely heavily on our social media channels to communicate with our customers. Instagram has proven to be the best spot for us to keep people in the loop. We also gather emails when customers are shopping with us and send out occasional newsletters to offer news and promotions.
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