Written by Amy Smith – Senior Designer
With years of experience under my design belt you’d think I’d be used to packing for a comp-shop by now, but there’s always that paranoia the night before when I feel the need to add a few more bits into my luggage “just in case”. So, here’s an essential packing list for comp-shopping that includes all the essentials – apart from the obvious passport (if it’s an overseas trip) and cash/company credit card.
- City Guide
We always spend time researching the different areas of a city before a trip, to maximise the amount of time we have there. It’s important for us to see a cross-section of areas that include a mix of retailers – vintage, high street, malls, high-end designer, and independent boutiques. Seeing a range of shops gives a complete overview of any key new trends coming through for the season and helps us to visualise how an idea from a high-end designer can be filtered down into a more commercial version for the high-street.
- Change of Shoes
This is a must! Lucky for us that trainers are so on trend right now because anyone that has shopped til they dropped, walked 26,000 steps in a day and is still standing at the end of it (!) knows that the only way forward is a change of shoes for day number 2!
- Portable Phone Charger
To help give your phone a little boost after the many photographs you’ve snapped throughout the day and the emails you’ve answered over lunch.
- Tote Bag
Easy to fold up and fit in your suitcase/use as hand-luggage on the plane before the shopping commences! And key for any excess baggage on the way home!
- Weather-proofing tools
Sounds very technical but really all I mean is an umbrella or hand-held fan! Contrary to popular belief, comp shops are definitely not the glamorous part of the job so we need all the help we can get here!
For a sneak peek into our recent trip to Barcelona follow us on Instagram @boardmansdesign
