LONDON STORE PROPOSAL
contents 3-4
INTRODUCTION
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VISION
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LOCATION
9-10 POSITIONING 11-12 ACCESS 13-16 VISUAL MERCHANDISING 17-18 STAFF 19-26 PROMOTION 27-28 POST STORE LAUNCH 29-30 TIMELINE 31-32 BUDGET 33-34 SUCCESS 35-36 CONCLUSION 2
introduction Stussy is inevitably the world’s giant of streetwear, combining its love for subcultures including skating, graffiti art and hip-hop, with its passion of creating original, high-quality products, the brand never fails to succeed year on year. From launching in 1980, Shawn Stussy travelled the world in the 80s to form his international Stussy tribe (a tribe of influential creatives) and from that has quite evidently made the brand what it is today. Stussy is much more than a clothing brand, it is a way of living. It brings consumers an exciting lifestyle through its influential culture and prides itself from this. Personal relationships with consumers is clearly an important factor to Stussy, with the most effective way of enhancing this being through retail hubs, it is safe to say that a UK expansion should be on the horizon for the brand. With the only other two stores in Europe being in Milan and Madrid, there is a huge gap in the market place in Britain which consumers are waiting for Stussy to fill. Research has proven that 80% of 18-25 year olds when asked if they would like to see a Stussy standalone chapter store in the UK, agreed they would. A further 78.9% of participants stated that they prefer in-store shopping as opposed to online, which places Stussy at a huge disadvantage within the UK as although the clothing is stocked within concessions, the ranges and variety is a lot more limited than it would if a stand-alone store was to open. Taking this into account, BNPR presents a strategic and tactical Stussy UK store proposal, providing thorough information and recommendations regarding location, positioning and logistics in attempt to give Stussy the most impactful entrance possible into the UK, resulting in a highly successful development.
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vision Primarily this document provides insightful guidance on the future steps for the business with regards to the next steps of expansion. Taking Stussy’s brand personality into account the new store will aim to be a relaxed, communal environment which acts as a hub for creative individuals in the capital of the UK. Aiming to bring fun and excitement to consumers through the use of in-store events, exclusive launches and enthusiastic staff, Shoreditch is the perfect location for this move. Bursting with vibrant streets, creative people and communal hang outs, this is the most strategic spot in terms of drawing in the typical Stussy customer. In terms of future vision, the goals are as followed: -Expand the presence of Stussy in the UK -Build on existing/ new relationships -Launch a store that has an inspiring and communal purpose, rather than just a retail purpose -To influence the media into a positive response in order to gain a strong market response. -Rise above other competition in central London (Palace, Supreme) by the opening of this store
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location Due to the fact Stussy currently has no stand-alone retail presence within the UK, the location of the store needs to be one of which is suitable to the brand, the area in which it is situated and must have an appropriate sized shop floor. With this in mind, BOXPARK, is the proposed store, BOXPARK itself is a venue that effortlessly fuses the concept of modern street entertainment with retail, proudly delivering a community of brands a place to call home, specialising in fashion, arts, food and drinks. The Venue regularly holds exciting events such as hip-hop nights, raves, DJ experiences, Art nights, Club nights and more. All of these activities coincide with the brand perfectly, with Stussy having similar interests as a brand. This also illustrates a lot about the type of people who visit BOXPARK as they are likely to be young, free spirits who are all about having fun and socialising, which means these kind of visitors fit with Stussy target market, positioning themselves at a prospective start from the very beginning. The unit itself is relatively small in size, and would be leased on a 12 month contract. This allows time for the brand to settle and measure success to determine whether further expansion within Europe is a possibility, whether this be via a new bigger store or more stores in different cities. This is positive in terms of financing as it means the store will be lower in price as appose to starting with a big store, with the last store being in Central London and closing down due to the 2009 recession, it is essential to locate the ideal property which is both profitable and practical.
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Positioning Placing the store in a quirky area like Shoreditch not only fits with the brands identity, but it also encourages passing trade as the people walking around BOXPARK are likely to be the type to shop at Stussy. Whereas if the store was located central on either Oxford Street or Regent Street, the independent identity would be lost and replaced with a mainstream persona. This would result in gaining the wrong type of custom from passers-by, who not engrossed in the brand, resulting in the shop being purely a retail space, not an exciting hub for Stussy enthusiasts like it sets out to be. In terms of store competition due to the short leasing programme at BOXPARK, some stores tend to switch after their lease is up, however present / current stores that would have a similar target market to Stussy would be: Vans, The North Face, the Brokedown Palace and POPUP. Stores such as Carhartt, Goodhood, Parlour skate store and Illustrated people are other competitors positioned outside of BOXPARK, but relatively close located in the centre of Shoreditch. This indicates that there is a lot of business for these types of clients within the area, providing a promising future for Stussy. Stussy’s main competing stores in London include Palace and Supreme, which are both located approximately 30 minutes away from Boxpark. Located outside the same perimeter, this decreases the chances of these stores being a major issue for the store, however due to the distant not being that far, consumers who would travel to these two stores, would also be willing to travel to Stussy.
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access Lastly, BOXPARK is easily accessible making it easy for almost anyone to attend, the transportation guide is shown below: •For those travelling by tub/ train, BOXPARK is located directly next to Shoreditch High Street on the London Overground Line, is a 10 minute walk from both Liverpool Street Station and a 10 minute walk from Old Street Station. •For those travelling by bus, routes 8, 26, 35, 47, 48, 67, 78, 149, 242, 388 all run within 2 minutes walking distance. •For those travelling by car, paid parking is available nearby •And for those travelling by bicycle, a bike rack is located at the Shoreditch High Street Station. Address: BOXPARK, Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6GY
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Visual merchandising Stussy takes a very minimalist approach in terms of store exterior and interior. Using a blank canvas, open space and a minimal colour palette, Stussy pride themselves on being simplistic and modern. This theme will be carried on to this store, whilst taking inspiration from the most recent store opening for Stussy in Toronto. This store has been beautifully designed with a white complexion, complimented by silver stainless steel fixtures and raw wooden beams. The store has several green, natural plants around the shop creating an open space and a relaxing vibe. The store also displays artwork on the walls which consist of poster style images, framed and hung strategically. This is something that the London chapter store will feature, with old and new Stussy images fixed into frames and placed in order to bring the store to life and welcome customers in a friendly communal manner. In terms of the exterior, Stussy have very minimal shop fronts, breaking away from the typical mannequin styled windows. BOXPARK suits this style perfectly, with the container styled units and minimal signage, this is everything Stussy needs in a exterior plan.
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Staff The staff will play a vital role in ensuring that the store is a relaxed and friendly place to spend time. The store will not be fully focused around pushing sale on sale, instead it will be about creating bonds with consumers at the same time. In the long run this will benefit the company more as return consumers will build over time, forming a strong clientele. Visually the staff will be provided with a uniform allocation every three months to ensure they are dressing in Stussy and promoting new stock. This will work well for the brand image as a whole as they will be dressing in the way that is recognised from brand editorials and styling techniques. In terms of knowledge, all staff will be trained and taught key areas of the brand history, brand story and brand values. They will also be fully trained in product knowledge and customer service so they can provide consumers with all the information they require. However, this training will be very relaxed and friendly, to ensure genuine friendships are being made in store, instead of staff going through step by step customer service motions as you would expect in other retail outlets. The staff selection process will be based around people who stand for what Stussy do and share the same interests, to form a mini ‘Stussy Tribe’ within store.
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promotion Stussy are a very reserved brand in terms of their promotional and marketing strategies. Unlike many other brands, consumers often have to seek information regarding their activities, this is perhaps due to the fact they want their consumers to stand for what the brand believes in and therefore doesn’t want too much interest from any type of customer, which they would probably gain if they were to post themselves everywhere. This technique will be used throughout this store launch promotional campaign as too much promotion and advertisement would be irrelevant to the brand story and would not fit the existing Stussy practise. The following four tactics will be used in order to gain enough coverage to allow people to know of Stussy’s UK existence, without making the brand seem too mainstream by posting on every platform possible‌
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Launch event The store launch event will be the main tactic for this promotional campaign. It is important that the store enters the market on a popular level, by having a launch event it will draw in consumers and press in order to spread the word about the store and gain positive publicity from the right type of consumers. The event will be held on the 25th August 2017, just before the bank holiday weekend commences, giving people the perfect opportunity to start the weekend with a party, the event will take place from 7pm-12pm and will be located above the store on the outdoor terrace, BOXPARK. There will be live entertainment throughout the night of the event hosted by 4our pillars, a group that am to bring the 4 core elements of hip-hop culture under one roof using talented DJ’s, MC’s, Break Dancers and Aerosol Artists. The musicians and breakers will provide excitement and bring atmosphere to the night, fitting in perfectly with Stussy’s international tribe activities. Street style food will also be served by BOXPARK, and free beer will be handed out to guests. (within moderation). Co-founder Frank Sinatra will be attending the event to chat to journalists and regular guests about his time at Stussy, although there will be no official interview or speech, he will be on hand throughout the night to express his love for what he does. It is not often he makes an appearance in this stage of his career, so the fact he will be present on the night will be a privilege to all that attend. In terms of guests, streetwear journalists from the likes of Highsnobiety, HypeBeast, Complex UK, Dazed and Vice will be invited to the event. These organisations have done several previous articles surrounding Stussy and have all been very positive and enthusiastic, proving their reliability which ensures the brand should gain good feedback again from this event. To remain true to the idea of community and the Stussy international tribe mentality, the remaining attendees will all be customers. With the capacity of the venue being just over 200, guests will be pre-invited to the event by using the Stussy UK subscribers online list, to ensure regular customers get the opportunity to visit instead of passers-by. However this will strictly be on a first come, first serve basis to adhere to health and safety regulations. Those who are not successful in gaining a place at the upstairs launch party, will still be welcomed on the ground floor where people will be encouraged to shop, socialise and enjoy a free drink with the Stussy tribe (staff). 22
press pack Another offline marketing tactic in place for the campaign is a press pack. This will be sent to HIGHSNOBIETY, HYPEBEAST, COMPLEX UK, DAZED and VICE. The press pack will contain all of the relevant information regarding this event/ store launch in order to persuade journalists to come along to the event. One of the main PR objectives for this project is to influence the media into a positive response in order to gain a strong market response, therefore it is important that the press pack is persuasive enough to make people intrigued. These sources are reliable and trustworthy ensuring excellent coverage for both the launch and the event.
social media Using their strongest platform of social media (Instagram), a new account will be set up solely for the London store. The online presence for Stussy is not intended to be too apparent during this launch as it wouldn’t fit with the existing presence, however subtle hints will be used on this platform to give followers an idea of what is to come. Typical posts will include images of BOXPARK, however captions will be kept minimal not stating any information. There will also be teaser images of London to give consumers the idea that Stussy may be coming to a town near them.
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limited edition tees One strategic tool that Stussy continue to use with new store openings is the launch of limited edition t-shirts, tailored to that specific place. Following this code of practise, there will be a series of Stussy London Tees available to buy from the launch event, however in order to keep them as limited and demanded as possible, there will only be a low of 75 tees per design for sale. This will act as a form of persuasion to those who indulge in the brand yet are not invited to the launch, as they will be encouraged into coming down anyway to buy a T-shirt. Note: The designs to the left are examples only.
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post launch After the store has opened and the hype of the launch event has calmed down, several other events will take place in store on a regular occasion. With the location of the store being within a venue like BOXPARK which has its own outdoor space used for events, it means the store can make use of this as much possible to invite Stussy enthusiasts to shopping events and Stussy parties. BOXPARK already host events at least once every month, including activities such as raves, club nights, hip-hop karaoke’s and more. This opens an opportunity for collaboration, as these events suit the Stussy persona very well, so with the help of BOXPARKS events and Stussy’s clientele, the partnership between the venue and store can aim to work strategically to benefit both parties. By holding musical / art events, it will form London’s own modern version of an international tribe, which will continue to develop and conform to Stussy’s brand values.
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timeline April
Sign all documentation with BOXPARK, take measurements of the unit in preparation for store designs.
May
Source and purchase furniture / interior accessories. Work closely with an interior design team to plan the shop floor, visually.
June
Organise entertainment (contact 4our Pillars and sign agreement). Design limited edition tees with the Stussy design team.
July
Begin offline promotion via posters in shop windows. Send out press release to the media.
August September
Set up the London Stussy social media account and begin with teaser posts. Fit the store and Launch at the end of August (25TH), hosting the launch party at this time. Hold a variety of instore events (live music) and continue to push promotion
October
Hold a variety of instore events (live music) and continue to push promotion
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store budget Rental Fixtures Shop Fitting Exterior Graphics Storage and Removals Cash Desk Hangers (box of 500 wooden) Bags (per 1000) Tailor Dummies X2 Kick Stool Ladders Heavy Duty Clothes Rail X2 IT (Computer / Printer) Software (Microsoft) Office Supplies (Stationary) Total:
20,000 + VAT every 12 months - BOXPARK £500 – Nelson Thomas UK £2000 - Nelson Thomas UK £750 - Glyphics £50 PH – Nightingale Removals London £180 -Staples £100 - Morplan £100 - Morplan £78 - Morplan £30 - Morplan £18 - Morplan £40 - Morplan £1300 –Apple £50 per year. £50 –Staples £26, 246
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launch event budget Rental Caterers 4our Pillars Promotional flyers / posters Invitations Event Staff
Cleaners Photographer Videographer
Included in yearly rental. Free as provided by BOXPARK (all takings go to BP) £1000 £1000 – KopyKat Printing Ltd £400 - KopyKat Printing Ltd Caterers will be free of charge, other staff who will be working will be Stussy workers receiving national minimum wage – 21-24 YRS £6.95, 25+ £7.20. Extra cleaners will be hired, national minimum wage 21-24 YRS £6.95, 25+ £7.20. £500 £500
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MEASURING SUCCESS The process of measuring success for this project is crucial, as it is important to monitor and manage the state of the business throughout the full process. BNPR are fully committed to ensuring that Stussy is carrying out the most strategic and effective methods of communication in order to achieve the best results. The measuring and monitoring will be done via a number of different ways including: •The number of visitors at the launch event •Press feedback from the event, reflecting on AVE •The number of limited edition Tees sold on the night of the event •The footfall rates in comparison to the conversion rates •The amount of engagement on social media (likes, tags, mentions, follows) •The number of sales made in the story (monitoring popular times, days, weeks) •The number of views on both the Stussy website and the BOXPARK online store website during the launch period. •The attitudes and reviews from attendees on the night of the launch •The number of searches relating to Stussy on online search engines
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CONCLUSION From the first ever International Stussy Worldwide tour, London has always had a big part in the brands personal history. From meeting creatives in the city who soon became a part of the tribe, it goes without saying that the location and the brand have an eternal link, which is why Stussy are in the position to re-unite with the United Kingdom and continue to grow their connection with the city. By bringing a Stussy standalone presence back to the U.K it will open up a whole new chapter, bringing in new revenue, new consumers, new experiences and new stories. Compromising with a subtle promotional campaign which fits perfectly within Stussy’s existing code of practise along with a highly competitive budget, BNPR only seek the full potential in this new adventure. With the streetwear trend only growing bigger and bigger day by day, it is important that Stussy, the streetwear giant returns to London to fill the space that it is undoubtedly missing. With BNPR’s strategy plan, and Stussy’s co-operation, the expansion is only set to be successful.
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BNPR is a thriving creative agency, located within Shoreditch, London. Here at the BNPR, we can guarantee your best interests are always at heart with a service that is fully committed to delivering outstanding results. Boasting an enthusiastic team of over 40, we can ensure that amongst us we have the tools and tactics to offer only the very best for our clients. As an agency, we thrive from building strong partnerships with businesses whilst delivering an outstanding service fully tailored to meet each individual client’s needs. From store openings, promotional/ marketing campaigns, product launches, exhibitions and a whole lot more, we can guarantee a strategy that is both innovative and inspiring. We understand here at BNPR that the consumer must be at the core of everything we do, so not matter how big or small our client’s developments are, we are fully confident that we have it covered, and don’t worry, we are not afraid to put our money where our mouth is.
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