Sustainable Ecoalf opens first Benelux store

Spanish sustainable fashion brand Ecoalf continues its expansion abroad: after its first foreign store opening in Berlin in 2017, it has now arrived in Amsterdam.

Focus on sustainability

Ecoalf’s first Dutch shop measures 140 sqm and is located on the Utrechtsestraat. As can be expected from a sustainable brand, environmental considerations were essential in the design and layout of the store. The walls have been finished with an environmentally friendly mineral paint and where possible recycled materials have been used. Natural light is central and is supplemented by LED lighting to reduce power consumption. The shop also has no air conditioning: instead, efforts were made to allow clean air to circulate naturally.

“We have to invest a lot of time in each country. Ultimately, we create unique stores where the brand’s DNA really comes through and that requires a lot of effort”, marketing director Carolina Álvarez-Osorio explained to FashionNetwork.com. “For now, it’s important for us to establish the brand in the markets where we already have a presence. We will look into other options in other markets when the time is right.”

Ecoalf secured fresh capital of 4.5 million euros in the spring to finance its expansion. The company, which was founded in 2009 by Javier Goyeneche, already has Spanish stores in Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga, and one foreign store in Berlin. On top of that – and the plans for Amsterdam – it will open a first store in Tokyo, in cooperation with fashion distribution specialist Sanyo Shokai. The chain achieved a turnover of 4.13 million euros in 2017.