A Closer Look at Revology — a Concept Store Dedicated to Circular Design and Mindful Living

If you ever find yourself in Wānaka, New Zealand, be sure to stop by Revology, a concept store and tea house that’s dedicated to sustainable products and experiences. A gorgeous shop with interesting designs and merchandise, Revology is filled with elements that keep customers coming back. 

We recently caught up with Monique Kelly, co-founder of Revology, and asked her to share the story behind the business. Have a look at what she has to say. 

From police station to concept store

According to Monique, the business was born just six years ago. The space that Revology now occupies used to be a police station that was converted into a co-working spot. 

Monique wanted to explore the potential of natural fibers and plant-based materials, and this led to the creation of a new product.

“We spent a few years on research into natural fibre composites and designing our first product — the chair,” she explains. 

“Once we were ready to launch, we decided that a chair was going to be lonely all by itself so we curated a whole lot of other products from designers and creators who had the same ethos as us.”

A carefully-curated selection

To this day, Monique and the team at Revology continue to be selective with the items they decide to sell. According to her, they determine whether or not products are a good fit using three criteria:

• The materials of the product must fit within the bio or circular economy
• It has has to be ethically sourced and produced
• It needs to be both useful and beautiful

By having high standards for all the items they carry, Revology customers are able to enjoy highest-quality products that are good for them and the environment.

How Revology drives foot traffic

What’s one thing that attracts people into the Revology concept store? 

“Apparently it’s the smell!” says Monique. “Good materials smell good, I suppose.”

That being said, Monique adds that they strive to keep their assortments fresh.

 “We are constantly trying to discover new designers and shift the store around a lot so customers come back to see what’s new,” she remarks.

Customer principles and values also come into play. Revology’s commitment to sustainable living attracts shoppers that share the brand’s values. As Monique puts it, “a big driver is consumers want to make the right choice when they buy a gift or product and we help them do the due diligence through our sourcing.”

Keeping the admin side in check

While customer-facing components (e.g., physical storefront or website) are important to retail success, the platforms and processes you have on the backend are just as important. 

Monique and the team at Revology understand this, which is why they’re using robust retail platforms to run the business. 

For instance, they’ve integrated their POS system (Vend) with their accounting software (Xero) to easily sync Revology’s financial data. 

“This helps enormously at the end of the month to make sure that we have less stress and waste less time when reconciling accounts,” says Monique.

Additionally, they leverage Vend’s POS reporting and analytics to measure the performance of the business and ensure they’re making the right decisions. 

“My favourite Vend feature is the reporting. I am a data geek and I like to see trends and understand what’s going on. It’s super easy to use,” she adds.