Air & Anchor is taking its retail experience to a new state, literally and figuratively, as the Rhode Island–based brand expands to Boston and Florida and reconceives its flagship location.
Rebranded as the Factory at Air & Anchor, the Cranston, R.I., flagship will host a grand opening on Oct. 19 in its new location at 51 Hilldale Road. This iteration will serve as the model store for the company, which is known for its mix-and-match charms and chains. The new store’s interior look, bright orange branding, and DIY opportunities for clients were designed to bring customers in to experience Air & Anchor’s jewelry and lifestyle shopping concept.
“This is our signature store. The Factory at Air & Anchor is what will be rolled out in all of our stores going forward,” Rachel Ajaj says. “It’s honing in on what our factory does behind the scenes and how we bring those experiences to life in the store.”
Omar Ajaj adds, “It’s embracing the opportunity to do a little teaching and create a community.”
The flagship store features a 16-seat built-in bar where customers can sit, try on jewelry pieces, and work with store employees to create a custom look.
“We have examples for them to look at in the ready-to-wear jewelry, but it’s also about letting people play,” Rachel says. “That’s the experience. You can add charms to a chain. You can make your own bead necklace. That’s also what we’re doing with events—you can bring in a handbag, and we can show you how to add a cool charm or chain.”
The Factory at Air & Anchor name lets customers know they can purchase something they make themselves within its industrial setting, a nod to the factory Rachel’s grandfather had in Rhode Island where he made jewelry as well.
Air & Anchor has brought a smaller version of the store to the Boston pop-up it opened last month at the Current, a group of shopping “chalets” at 100 Seaport Blvd. that will be open through February 2025.
In Boston, the Ajajs had to think through how to offer the bar area within a shop of only about 180 square feet. The result is a four-seat jewelry bar that has touches of the Factory’s industrial ambience with vintage decor, wood accents, and a steel overhang.
For their next move, the Ajajs are headed to Florida, where they plan to open a permanent store at Melbourne’s Avenue Viera mall next spring. This will give customers in a new market the opportunity to see, touch, and buy Air & Anchor’s jewelry as well as experience the brand’s factory concept, events, and overall fun, says Rachel.
“They understand our aesthetic, our unique patented pieces, and what we stand for in terms of manufacturing,” she says.
Top: The Factory at Air & Anchor is the brand’s new flagship location in Cranston, R.I. (Photos courtesy of Air & Anchor)
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