Halara, a direct-to-consumer activewear brand, launches its first physical retail location as a pop-up shop.
The Lowdown:
- Direct-to-consumer athleisure brand Halara, which was born during the pandemic, is dipping its toes into the physical retail world by opening its first pop-up store in the heart of New York City on Broadway.
- Spanning 3,500 square feet, the temporary shop is a precursor to a series of test stores that Halara plans to roll out across the US, with potential locations in California, Texas, Florida, Europe, Japan, and Korea.
- The New York pop-up, which opened on a Friday and is currently slated to close on a Sunday, may extend its run if demand remains high. The store operates from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Insights:
- Halara launched its first brand campaign titled #ConfidentlyHalara on TikTok, where users shared their personal journey towards body positivity. The campaign garnered 103 user-generated content participants and over 13.58 million views and impressions.
- The brand takes a distinctive approach to production, integrating machine learning and consumer feedback in its design process. It's also focused on minimizing its environmental impact by adopting a nearly zero-inventory model.
- The athleisure market has seen a significant surge in popularity in recent years, especially among DTC brands, with major names like Nike facing competition from emerging brands such as On, Hoka, Alo Yoga, and Vuori.
The Skinny:Halara, a four-year-old athleisure brand, has decided to venture offline by setting up a pop-up store in New York City. Although the brand's long-term aim is to open permanent stores, they're currently focusing on testing the waters with pop-up shops in various cities across the US and internationally. The New York pop-up, located on Broadway, offers customers a chance to get special gifts in exchange for posting about their experience on social media. While the pop-up is only meant to run for a week, the brand is keeping an open mind about extending the duration if there's strong demand. Halara uses machine learning and consumer feedback for its design and production process, emphasizing newness and operating on a nearly zero-inventory model to minimize environmental impact. The brand has generated a buzz on TikTok with its #ConfidentlyHalara campaign, which encouraged users to share their stories of overcoming body insecurity. Halara operates in a competitive market, with DTC athleisure brands like On, Hoka, Alo Yoga, and Vuori gaining ground against industry giants like Nike.
- The AI-driven fashion startup Halara, born during the pandemic, is experimenting with physical retail by launching a pop-up store in Manhattan's Broadway.
- This temporary store, spanning 3,500 square feet, marks Halara's foray into a series of test stores across the US and potentially international locations like Europe, Japan, and Korea.
- The New York pop-up, open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., might extend its six-day run if demand remains stressful.
- Halara's first brand campaign, #ConfidentlyHalara, garnered success on TikTok, with 103 user-generated content participants and over 13.58 million views and impressions.
- In terms of production, Halara integrates machine learning and consumer feedback, focusing on minimal environmental impact by adopting a nearly zero-inventory model.
- The escalating popularity of athleisure brands, both DTC and established, has prompted competition among giants like Nike from emerging labels such as On, Hoka, Alo Yoga, Vuori, and now Halara.
- Shopping for a new lifestyle at Halara's pop-up store on Broadway means special gifts for social media posts, part of the brand's mission to combine technology, fashion, and home & garden with a positive body image message.
