By Buxton Midyette, Supima.
Editor's note: Read more about Supima in our July 2009 article, Bloomingdale’s To Launch Supima Collection. Read more about the Supima Pop-Up store in our April 2008 article, Supima opens a pop-up store in NYC.
The Supima Pop-Up store was a natural outcome for our promotional campaign. In our advertising and events, the product—beautiful, natural, upscale, grown-in-the-USA Supima cotton—is always the star. We believe the product can speak for itself.
Supima’s marketing follows that principal with surprising ways to reinforce that message. Sometimes subliminally. Sometimes straightforwardly. In addition to launching a commercially successful pop-up store introducing products made from Supima, we’ve actually planted a cotton field overnight in a parking lot on Houston street here in downtown Manhattan, held a prestigious design competition for emerging talent (complete with live runway show), and staged full-blown sourcing shows for the trade.
But even when we’re being playful, we always stay true to our product and its premium image.
The pop-up store was all about supporting our licensed brands and connecting with consumers. We had 16 brands representing men’s and women’s apparel as well as home fashion. The store was a tremendous opportunity for Supima to merchandise the apparel as a single collection. So often there may be a dozen Supima brands on a retail sales floor but they are spread out and not always clearly identified. The pop-up store let Supima present product in a way that called attention not only to the product but how Supima made it special.
In organizing the pop-up store, Supima had hoped that many of the retailers who came to check out the store would consider presenting their Supima lines in a similar manner. One can always hope, but little did we realize that that wish would become a reality one year later with the launching of Supima stores in 18 Bloomingdale’s stores across the country. For the Bloomingdale’s personnel who visited, the pop-up store proved to be a compelling “proof of concept” that a Supima store could work.
Educating consumers was a clear benefit of the pop-up. The store provided consumers the unique chance to see how Supima’s softness translates to whatever product it’s in be it a t-shirt, a pair of jeans or intimate apparel. There is no better way to promote Supima product and understand how it is viewed by consumers. Supima also gained insight on training the store’s sales associates on how to explain Supima’s benefits. Both consumer and sales training knowledge was a valuable asset that Supima could share with its existing licensed brands and retailers.
In conclusion, Supima would encourage other cotton promotional organizations to consider pop-up stores as potential tool for advancing their promotional activities and connecting with consumers.
The 10 steps
Pop-up stores, retail that occupies a location anywhere from 1 – 90 days, are increasingly being recognized as an effective vehicle for reaching consumers and the press. While there is potential to generate sales, the real value is promotional.
Brands from Gucci to Kidrobot and even retailers like Target and Uniqlo have organized pop-up stores to launch new lines as well as generate buzz. Make no mistake about it, it takes a lot of work to pull together a pop-up but the payoffs are worth it.
- Set objectives
Define your communication goals for the pop-up store: the product attributes and message you want to get across to consumers and the press. - Layout a plan
Understand the merchandise mix you will need to successfully communicate your message as well as the type of product presentation and promotional program that will draw attention. - Create a proposal
This will contain details about the store. Used to approach brands to invite them to participate in the project. - Approach Partners / Sponsors
Present pop-up as a promotional event that they can sponsor with a contribution of product for the store. Ask them to estimate what will be sold over life of the store. There will be no time for inventory to be replenished. - Find a location
Even in today’s economic environment, this can be challenging. Property owners can be reluctant to allow short term rentals that might result in missing out on a 5 year lease. Get a good agent and put on your walking shoes. Think about locations that will reflect your brand and its consumers. - Organize a promotional plan
Make sure to have concrete plans in place to hold events in your space that will feature the different offerings such as a denim event, a shirting event and knit event. Be ready ahead of the store opening with collateral, and press releases. - Build out retail environment
Chances are that you will have a small time window to build out the space so that you can maximize your time as retail operation. That said, branding and display are of critical importance to get your messages across. - Hire and train staff
The staff in the store will serve as your ‘brand ambassadors’ dealing with consumers, press , industry visitors as well as representatives of your participating brands and sponsors. All efforts should be made to educate them on product knowledge. Scripting on how to greet customers, positioning in the stores as well as sales incentive programs are important to define early on. - Meet and Greet
Make optimal use of the time your pop-up is operating by taking the opportunity to meet/observe the customers who come to the store. It’s a great way to gain insights on what people find interesting about your product as well as to see what items prove most popular in terms of sales. - End well
Avoid the temptation to fire-sale product at the end of the pop-up store’s operation. Finishing with a Sample sale deep discounting can potentially undermine the positive value of the project. It’s much better to use any leftover product to gift press who stopped by or donate it to appropriate charities. All other merchandise should be returned to your partners.
