Josie Langevin
Established: 1993 160 stores in the United States and abroad 18 stores include an attached restaurant and bar
The Store
The Restaurant
All stores follow the same aesthetic but must work with the space they have
The Tommy Bahama flagship stores are located in New York City, Chicago, and Hong Kong
Merchandise Sold Relaxed sportswear and swimwear for both men and women Licensed Items Footwear, golf bags, luggage, eyewear, home furnishing, and rum Services Provided Restaurant and bar attached to some stores
Exterior Looks like most store fronts in Chicago with stone and some aspect of intricate architecture. There is nothing on the outside that reminds me of the beach or some place tropical
Windows Lack of props and interest in window display. Only mannequins and wooden backdrop. Nothing that really grabs the attention of people walking by.
Interior Neutral colored walls Metal shelves Wooden hangers Large amount of product out Strong scent Crowded arrangement of tables Large leafed plants
Initial Impression That the outside store and window display do not match the inside has a more tropical vibe. The scent and the tables were overbearing and made me feel overwhelmed.
Aesthetics The exterior and interior of the store do not match and do not tell the same story. The interior very clearly offers a tropical lifestyle while from the outside that is hard to tell. The big plants and wooden furniture enhance that aesthetic but other than that there are no other props used. Limited use of graphics and images used within the store. Just a couple photos in picture frames on shelves and promotional signs.
Store Experience Was a surprising contrast from exterior to interior. Once in the store it was overwhelming, not only for the nose but spatially as well. There was limited space to walk around and a lot of tables and mannequins that made shopping uncomfortable. The people working in the store were friendly but showed no interest in helping me.
Website https://www.tommybahama.com/ The home page displays a general overview of the brand with links leading to the product. I did not see most of the products shown on the homepage in the window displays or on the sales floor.
The aesthetic is similar to the store with that it has a very simple color story and very few details. The thing that drives the tropical theme is the clothes themselves and the location of the photos.
Social Media Across all of their platforms it is consistent and they have the same pictures and the same posts throughout. Posts are about once a day. Their posts are engaging and make customers aware of promotions going on and display the Tommy Bahama lifestyle. Their social media comes across as more youthful and care free then what appears in store. The models pictured on their social media seem to be much younger than their stated 35 and older target market.
Twitter https://twitter.com/TommyBahama?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle% 7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Be6gxCsDCwV/?hl=en&takenby=tbahama Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tommybahama/
Tommy Bahama truly tries to make a lifestyle for its customers. Their mottos being “make life one long weekend” and “what would Tommy do?” From selling clothing to household accessories to lawn chairs one could really buy a lot here. On their social media platforms they create an ideal lifestyle of living near the beach, eating good food, and being happy. The Tommy Bahama brand has marketed themselves well using their merchandise to create an ideal way of life for their customers. I just wish that what their brick-and-mortar store was as clean and cohesive as their social media platforms and their exterior did a better job of drawing in customers.