Dive Brief:
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Brandless is bringing its signature "Pop-Up with Purpose" to New York City Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 in a location twice the size of its similar West Hollywood effort in California this past spring.
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It will be an experiential space that features a bamboo forest with tree-free paper goods made from sugarcane and bamboo grasses, a fair-trade coffee bar and interactive storytelling installations focused on practicing kindness and making a positive impact on communities, the company said in a press release. Products featured include non-GMO and organic food and cruelty-free beauty products, non-toxic cleaners and home goods. The store will also offer NYC-specific product bundles and previews of upcoming product releases .
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As in California, the pop-up includes a charity effort. In addition to the meal that Brandless donates in partnership with Feeding America for each purchase on its site, the company will donate one meal for every social post using #BrandlessLife while the pop-up is running, the company said.
Dive Insight:
For a company whose name evokes a brand-free ethos, Brandless has a pretty strong brand, and it's turning to brick and mortar, if temporarily, to further it.
"The Brandless community is vibrant from coast to coast and every state in between," Co-Founder and CEO Tina Sharkey said in a statement. "We want people to experience #BrandlessLife, which extends beyond the products to a movement centered on simple, fair prices. It enables access to everyone and practices tangible acts of kindness every day."
The company touts its elimination of a "brand tax," (Sharkey says that can drive up prices on brand-name beauty products by as much as 300%), but is also taking a few pages from legacy retail. Its $3 across-the-board price tags recall dollar stores' origins; its slimmed down assortment follows the model of Aldi, Lidl and Trader Joe's; and its spare labeling resembles the old days of generic labels before grocery stores brought more design to their private label lines.
The company's pop-ups are an extension of its mission to connect with consumers on "ways to live more, and brand less," Sharkey told Retail Dive earlier this year. And it provides the company with opportunities to test products and marketing in a way it can't do solely online.
Several e-commerce pure plays have turned to pop-ups for those reasons, including Casper, Dormify and Warby Parker. But established physical retailers, including department stores, are also turning to temporary locations to expand their reach.
