London Inc. September 2022 - 16

Upfront Retail
FROM
SCROLLING TO
STROLLING
Launched as an online
brand, a vintage
Scandinavian furniture
business tries a traditional
marketing strategy: a
physical store
ROB HANSON DISCOVERED the
concept of habitus - the way we
perceive our space and place, and how
we interact with it - in a textbook
while he was studying architectural
technology at Fanshawe College.
After graduating, Hanson enrolled
with the Royal Architectural Institute
of Canada to continue training to
become an architect, but quickly
realized that he was less interested
in learning technical skills and more
interested in the design elements of
architecture - particularly through
the habitus lens.
It was that understanding that
business,
inspired
his
perhaps
unsurprisingly labelled Habitus
(www.habitus.ca). The concept
launched as an online store last
year, and last month Hanson added
a brick-and-mortar presence at 140
Dundas Street where he sells vintage
Scandinavian and mid-century modern
furniture imported from Denmark.
" For me, it's important to be in a
clutter-free space, clean and minimalist, "
says Hanson. He was drawn
to Scandinavian furniture for both its
functional and aesthetic qualities.
" I had a personal collection of
Scandinavian furniture, and I started
to sell a few of those pieces online
during Covid, " he says. Response was
so positive he started looking for more
pieces to resell, a quest that led him to
16 | londonincmagazine.ca | SEPT 2022
Habitus founder Rob Hanson

http://www.habitus.ca http://www.londonincmagazine.ca

London Inc. September 2022

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