Modern Heritage

Robust look: the interior design concept focuses on wood, metal, and linen.

Como Park, a renowned retail design studio, is responsible for the interior design concept.

Modern Heritage.

Oeben’s Mercantile/Utrecht. The members of the Oeben family have been successful merchants since the early 19th century. It therefore comes as no surprise that Thomas Oeben decided to uphold the family tradition by opening Oeben’s Mercantile in Utrecht.

Text: Kay Alexander Plonka. Photos: Oeben’s Mercantile

Thomas Oeben has been working in the retail industry since 2002, most recently for a few years as a buyer for a renowned menswear store with branches in Rotterdam and Utrecht. During a beach holiday in Miami - shortly after celebrating his 30th birthday - he made the life-altering decision to open his own store dedicated to a balanced style and brand mix for men.The store boasts a special feature. Oeben raised 10,000 Euros via the crowd funding platform “Crowd About Now” by promising that his concept store will offer the service that is often neglected in our modern world. This add-on acted as an additional capital injection on top of Oeben’s own 80,000 Euro investment budget. The portfolio of Oeben’s Mercantile not only includes real workwear, strong denim, robust boots, subtle sneakers, and durable outerwear, but also a carefully selected range of suits, coats, blazers, shirts, and waistcoats. The aim is to offer the modern man of today the contemporary outfit for his work life and leisure time. The product portfolio is complemented by watches, bow ties and ties, belts, bags, luggage, and Oeben’s private label.

Open Five Hours on Sundays

Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands. The city with a central and convenient location is called home by approximately 340,000 people. Residents commute to work in Amsterdam, but - in turn - many young people from Amsterdam come to Utrecht on a daily basis to study at the city’s renowned university, as well as at the music and vocational colleges. Oeben’s Mercantile is located in the direct vicinity of the cathedral in a beautiful little shopping street. The store is surrounded by many other small shops, cafés, and restaurants in the historic Old Town. “As is usual in many cities in the Netherlands, the store is open on Sunday from noon to 5pm, but remains closed on Monday. While the shop is only open until 6pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, one has the possibility to shop until 9pm on Thursday and until 8pm on Friday. On Saturday, Oeben’s Mercantile opens as soon as 10am (not at 11pm as on the other weekdays), but closes at 6pm”, Thomas Oeben explains. The opening hours are both customer and family friendly. The store’s interior design was created by Kenneth Jaworski and his team at Amsterdam-based Architecture Studio Como Park. Jaworski has designed stores for brands such as Levi’s, Filson, and G.H. Bass, as well as exhibition stands for many other renowned clients. He was also heavily involved in the brand selection process and the concept development phase. “The combination of high-quality materials and a classic look was the main focus while devising the store’s concept. We were eager to ensure that the ‘Look & Feel’ was not ‘used’ or ‘vintage’. Kenneth and I took a close look at many stores and finally I came up with the perfect solution for my own business. Natural materials such as oak wood and linen are combined with a range of dark wall colours to convey a familiar and inviting atmosphere, while the large pictures and photographs highlight the high-end feeling we want to portray”, Thomas Oeben adds.

Thomas Oeben relies on a blend of the classic and modern.

Oeben’s Mercantile

Oudkerkhof 34 3512GL Utrecht The Netherlands www.oebens.com Owner: Thomas Oeben Opening: 18th of March 2016 Sales area: 100 sqm Brands for men: AT.P. Co, Arrow, Armor-Lux, Baracuta, Barbour Heritage, Closed, Diadora Heritage, Fumagalli, Gant Rugger, G.H. Bass, Kings of Indigo, Levi’s, Lightning Bolt, Palto, Pike Brothers, Reds, Red Wing Shoes, Tellason, Vanacore Accessories brands: Briston, Etnia Barcelona, Filson, Indigo People, Tanner Goods, Timex