A Pop Up Shop Proposal By Anna Thompson & Katherine Yow FASM 410 Winter 2013 Savannah College of Art and Design
History and Background
Nasty Gal was founded in 2006 in Los Angeles, CA by Sophia Amoruso. Amoruso started the company by selling one-of-a-kind vintage pieces on eBay. According to an interview with Forbes, “Amoruso wasn’t crazy about the fact that other eBay sellers were dinging her or that bids started so low. “A Chanel jacket has a $9.99 opening price. It could sell for just that or for $1,000. You have to prove it is worth more,” she explains. And she did, often buying an item on eBay then flipping it for three to five times as much. She made a virtue of the small visual thumbnails that eBay allowed for each item” She did this by taking advantage of her retail and photography background to style and photograph her friends in her clothing finds. She also used her Myspace page to gain feedback on the photographs and to attract more customers to her page. Her attention, or what some Sophia Amoruso would call obsession, to her eBay store soon paid off. Within a eighteen months, she had over 30,000 Myspace friends, was selling approximately $115,000 in vintage items and netting almost $20,000. (Forbes, 2) Around this time, she began to plug her new website which she named “Nasty Gal”. The name comes from the title track off the third album by the rock and soul artist Betty Davis who, according to Nasty Gal’s website is “the patron saint of badass women ... complete with lamé platform thigh-high boots.” Unfortunately for Amoruso, eBay closed her shop in June of 2008 based on accusations from fellow sellers that she was transferring potential customers away from eBay to her new website. According to Amoruso, this gave her the push she needed to fully invest in the website. She also decided to ditch Myspace in favor of Facebook in order to gain more brand awareness and fans.
Business Model, Selling Venues and Marketing Tactics
Nasty Gal remains an e-commerce only business, selling exclusively through the website Nastygal.com. It offers risky, eclectic and flirty on trend and vintage merchandise. Until recently, all of the merchandise was sourced from up and coming designers or vintage stores. As of 2012, Nasty Gal has begun to sell its own brand merchandise as well. Despite its growing size, Amoruso still relies solely on social media and word of mouth to attract new customers. Thanks to her extreme dedication to promotion through social media, Nasty Gal has over 485,000 Facebook fans, 55,000 Twitter followers and 340,000 Instagram followers to date. According to an interview with the Huffington Post, “the company updates its social networking pages 5 times a day” and aims to “get dressed” with their customers every morning. This has created a kind of “cult” following that puts Nasty Gal in the ranks with other top lifestyle brands. In addition, Nasty Gal recently launched a new bi-annual publication SUPER NASTY. The publication focuses on the company culutre and lifestyle rather than selling merchandise. Amoruso refuses to play into common marketing ploys such as
discounts for friend referrals or special sales. Instead, Nasty Gal buys limited quantities of items and sells through an astonishing 93% of its inventory at full price. In a promotion driven industry that typically plans to mark down 1/3 of all styles, a sell through this high is unheard of. Additionally, Nasty Gal continues to attract customers despite the fact that they can find the merchandise for cheaper elsewhere. This is due in part to the cult like following social media has created as well as the limited availability of each piece. While Nasty Gal does not participate in traditional marketing ploys, the company does hold contests and sweepstakes. Recent contests include “Win A Pair of Shoes Every Month for a Year”, Win $10,000 to spend at Nasty Gal” and “Win 50 Pairs of Shoes”.
The Retail Brand Identity: Mission, Vision, Values
Although Nasty Gal does not specifically list a mission or value statement on its website, its vision is clear. According to the website “At Nasty Gal, we are our customer. Because of this, our job is an easy one: inspire and be inspired by the cool girls all over the world.” “(Our goal is) to inspire and excite our customers while providing them with a highly curated selection of truly unique items that can’t be found elsewhere. Our buyers search high and low for pieces you won’t find anywhere else—be it from the Rose Bowl Flea Market or the racks at showrooms. Our shop is stocked weekly with both handpicked vintage and a highly curated selection of up-and-coming O ur job is an easy one: cool girls designers, giving you not just what the fashion doctor ordered, but truly and be inspired by t he e ir sp in unique items that can’t be found elsewhere.” wor ld
The Coolest Girl in the Room
al l over t he
Sophia Amoruso, when asked to describe the Nasty Gal customer stated, “She’s cool, self-confident and sexy, but not sexy for a guy. She gets dressed up because it’s fun, not because she wants to flaunt her stuff. I think our girl likes to look a little offbeat and disheveled, too.” (racked.com). Rather than list an age range, income level or demographics, she demonstrated an understanding of her customer’s attitude and the motivation behind her unique style. It is her free-spirited attitude and personality that makes a “Nasty Gal” stand apart, rather than her social status or age. For this reason, although the typical customer is between 18-25, Nasty Gal attracts customers anywhere between the ages of 15 and 35. She is heavily involved in social media, artistic, a trend setter and has an outgoing personality. The younger end of the customer age range is between the ages of 15-18. Despite being in high school, she already has a well-developed sense of style as well as the confidence to wear the latest trends. She is heavily involved in social media and follows major celebrities on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. She is a good student in school but is not involved in many school related activities. Instead, she prefers to pursue artistic activities such as music, photography and painting. Although her parents may still influence what she wears, she goes to Nasty Gal for inspiration and may purchase more modest versions of the clothes elsewhere. The core customer, aged 18-25, is either a student in college or a recent graduate in an entry-level job. She enjoys expressing herself through
her clothing and works in a creative environment that allows her to do so. She too is very involved in social media and enjoys going out downtown and hanging out with her friends. Although she takes school seriously, she is equally serious about having a good time and discovering who she is outside of her parents influence. The older end of the spectrum is aged 26-35. She has the same attitude as the younger customers but also has real responsibilities that have toned down her style. Her friends still consider her a trendsetter but as she has grown older, she has started purchase the more appropriate pieces that Nasty Gal offers. Although she works in a position that allows her to express her own sense of style, she tones it down for the workplace as she is more advanced in her career. Despite being older than the typical customer, she is still young and enjoys going out, having friends over and staying on top of fashion trends and the media.
Competitive Strengths and Weaknesses
Nasty Gal offers trendy and affordable clothing at a reasonable price point. They appeal to a broad age range and have something for everyone. Through social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter they have created a loyal fan base of over 300,000. In addition to be well connected, the website is also well organized and offers plenty of information about each item including sizing guides, model statistics, multiple images and suggested items to “complete the look”. As an E-commerce based business, Nasty Gal is available to customers world wide and has very few overhead costs. This has greatly contributed to the financial success of the company and as such, the company has room to both grow and experiment should they choose to do so. Despite these strengths, Nasty Gal does face several challenges. Their size range is very limited and they primarily only offer sizes a 4, 6 or 8. Although they carry a limited amount of items in either L/XL or an XS and according to customer reviews, their sizes run very small. In addition, Nasty Gal has grown an exponential STRENGTHS amount over the past six • Trendy years and some express • Affordable WEAKNESSES concern that Nasty Gal is • Good price/value ratio • Size Range simply a fad that will soon • Website • Limited sizing available for XS fade away. • Easy to use and XL further, although many • Aesthetically appealing • Does not fit true to size benefits of being strictly an • Sizing guides, model stats • Clothing is revealing online business exist, having • “complete the look” • 1 % Conversion rate a brick-and-mortar store allows customer’s to become familiar with the brand, sizing and fit. At this time, Nasty Gal has successfuly THREATS built brand loyalty and gained OPP ORTUNI T IES • Is she a Fad? the trust of its consumers • Increase size range • No brick-and-mortar despite not having a brick• Lululemon collaboration store and-mortar store, however • Pop-up shop to enlarge fan base • Competitors have a it may prove difficult to • Celebrity endorsement broader size range increase their consumer • Ellie Goulding base if they continue to sell and a more accurate • Lana Del Ray exclusively online. fit
Scope and Size of the Business
Nasty Gal has built a customer base of over 300,000 people across sixty countries and has been deemed the fasted growing company in Los Angeles. Nasty Gal is worth $130 Million on paper and has received 9M in investments from Index Ventures along with 40M from another Venture Capital firm. In 2008 Nasty Gal had sales of over $122,000.00 and by 2012 reached a sales volume of $128 Million sales. From 2008 to 2011 sales grew at a rate of 10,160 %. Over half of Nasty Gals sales come from only 20% of its shoppers. Out of all of the sales, 35% come from outside of the United States, which is a huge reason why Nasty Gal is looking to go global. They have a 1% conversion rate, which is surprisingly low considering their top 10% of shoppers visit the site over one hundred times per month.
Current Events and Trends Impacting the Future
Nasty Gal has many new ventures on the horizon. They are creating a pop-up shop to enlarge their fan base and allow more people to familiarize themselves with the brand. The exercise brand Lululemon has showed an interest in collaborating with the brand. This collaboration would benefit both companies and only help to broaden the customer base of both. Within the company. Sophia is looking to expand the brand even more and has come out with her own Nasty Gal label in the September of 2012. Gal the opportunity to show their creative designs and grow the brand in a whole new direction. This gives Nasty the opportunity to show their creative designs and grow the brand in a whole new direction.
How Nasty Gal could benefit from a Pop-Up Shop
The biggest challenges currently facing Nasty Gal include the lack of a brick-and-mortar store, the newness of the brand and a general lack of brand awareness among their target market, a conversion rate of only 1% and the inaccurate sizing and fit of the clothing. Up until now, Nasty Gal has addressed these weaknesses exclusively through the latest technology, tools and resources online. The sizing and fit of the garments has been addressed by listing specific measurements (in inches as the numerical sizes run smaller than other retailers) and model statistics by each garment. They have also continued to grow their fan base by operating multiple social media sites and by launching a bi-annual print catalog called “Super Nasty”, which highlights their private label merchandise. Despite these efforts, they still struggle to increase their conversion rate (which is defined as social media and e-mail followers who make a purchase). Although Nasty Gal continues to grow in popularity, their conversion rate must improve in order to remain competitive. The emergence of new retailing channels in the past decade has given way to a new retailing approach known as omni-channel or multi-channel retailing. This approach suggests that the best way to increase sales and customers is to utilize all retailing channels including brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce, m-commerce and catalog selling. Nasty Gal has already seen success through e-commerce and m-commerce sales and the recent launch of their catalog “Super Nasty” has been well received thus far. The remaining brick-and-mortar retail channel has yet to be addressed due to the fact that the other channels require a fraction of the overhead costs needed to operate a permanent store. In addition, part of Nasty Gal’s “cool factor” is derived from the fact it isn’t a place everyone knows about or can walk into. The challenge then, is to allow Nasty Gal to gain the benefits of a brick-and-mortar store without sacrificing their “cool factor” or creating new and permanent expenses. Opening a pop-up shop will allow Nasty Gal to address their biggest weaknesses and gain the benefits of multi-channel retailing without creating permanent new expenses. Not will a pop-up shop help to further penetrate their target market and increase brand awareness, but it also directly addresses their low conversion rate problem. Allowing the consumer to touch, feel and try on the garments will only increase consumer confidence and familiarity with the brand’s quality. It also does not require the customer to purchase and potentially go through the hassle of returning items they are not satisfied with.
Measuring the Success of a Pop-Up Shop
In recent years, pop-up shops have become an increasingly popular means to test a new market, gain brand awareness or introduce a new product category for retailers all over the world. Most pop-up shops prove extremely beneficial to retailers with careful planning however, it is vital that objective parameters are in place in order to properly measure each success and each area for improvement. These parameters can vary greatly as they must be based on the specific goals the retailer hopes to achieve by opening a pop-up shop. The primary reasons Nasty Gal has for opening a pop-up shop include increasing their conversion rate, penetrating their target market, and increasing brand awareness. Measuring success may prove difficult and depends heavily on careful attention of the employees operating the shop. Nasty Gal can measure how successfully they penetrated the target market and increase brand awareness by inviting each customer who visits the shop to follow them on social media sites and to sign up for their daily e-mail newsletter. Each new “follow” and email-sign up must be carefully recorded to accurately track the effectiveness of the shop. The conversion rate, which is arguably the primary reason for the pop-up shop, will be measured by comparing the number of customers who visit the pop-up shop and make a purchase versus the current conversion rate. This data depends on careful documentation of the number of customers who actually visit the shop and will likely differ from the number of new “follows” or e-mail signups. Again, employees operating the shop must carefully document the number of customers. Accurately counting the number of customers who visit the shop will be difficult so Nasty Gal needs an easy method to do so. Having customers sign up for daily sweepstakes and/or contests is one such way they can gauge the foot traffic in stores without unnecessarily burdening their sales associates. Lastly, Nasty Gal needs to continue to increase brand awareness. The successfulness of this will likely be the hardest to measure since “hype” and “buzz” is subjective. Instead, Nasty Gal will have to rely primarily on the number of new customers, “followers” and e-mail signups. Special attention should also be given to any media attention and blog posts regarding Nasty Gal. In addition, customers who enter sweepstakes or sign-up for emails should be asked how they heard about the shop and/or Nasty Gal. These methods can help generate quantifiable data to better understand how the successfully this goal was met.
“Musts” for the Nasty Gal Pop-Up Shop Successful multi-channel retailing depends on consistency both in how the business is operated as well as in the portrayal and image of the brand. Up until now, Nasty Gal has existed only online and in print mediums. Retailers who operate exclusively through e-commerce face uniquely challenging issues when opening a brick-and-mortar store. Customers may have preconceived notions on how the store will look and feel and may be turned off if the store does not reflect this aesthetic. Nasty Gal must take care then, to ensure the overall aesthetic of the store reflects the attitude and personality of their customer. Like their website, it must have a trendy, “cool” vibe without detracting from the clothing. Although the clothing they sell tends to be over the top and very much on-trend, the store needs to compliment rather than mirror this aesthetic. Doing so will keep the clothing the primary focus of the store and also allow for the displays to be changed instantly to reflect the latest trend or “it” item. In addition to accurately reflecting the brand, the Nasty Gal shop must be a fun and exciting shopping experience. The most successful retailers today created loyalty by offering customers a one-of-a-kind experience. Although Nasty Gal has already managed to create a loyal “cult-like” following online, opening a “real” store
presents new challenges. Generally speaking, online shoppers typically do not expect much assistance unless there is a problem after making a purchase. Customers who take the time to visit a store however, often expect friendly associates and style advice. Given the trendiness of the clothing Nasty Gal offers, customers may not be familiar with most of the styles and will likely expect sales associates to provide this information to them. Nasty Gal must take great care to ensure all associates are familiar with the clothing in the shop and online. In addition, Nasty Gal buys limited inventory and styles sell out quickly. Associates must know the inventory in order to offer alternative options or they risk losing a sale. Although the pop-up shop’s ultimate goal is to generate sales, it also needs to be a fun and exciting experience that leaves the customer wanting more. In order to further penetrate their target market and increase brand awareness, the pop-up shop needs to be more than just an alternative shopping medium. Serving refreshments, holding contests and promoting other local events can help make the shop become “the place to be” rather than just another store.
The Coolest Girl in the Pop-Up Shop
One of the goals for the pop-up shop involves further penetrating the target market. The primary Nasty Gal customer is aged between 20-26 and accounts for a disproportionate percentage of the total sales. Nasty Gal has clearly discovered a lucrative niche market and should continue to market to this customer. Because it is an e-commerce only business, many potential customers may either not be aware of the brand or are simply unfamiliar with the product quality. Opening a pop-up shop allows Nasty Gal to reach this customer, who is differs only slightly from the typical “Nasty Gal”. Despite sharing a similar style, the “potential Nasty Gal” only buys clothing she feels confident about. She likely shops online but may only purchase from brands if she has touched and tried on the clothing in person. If she has heard of Nasty Gal, she may follow the brand on various social media sites and purchase similar styles from different retailers. Allowing this customer the chance to touch and feel the clothing without the potential hassle of returning merchandise will give her the confidence she needs to purchase in the shop and online in the future.
Current Retail Trends Nasty Gal has already capitalized on many of the trends in retailing today. The growth and increasing popularity of e-commerce, m-commerce and fast fashion laid the groundwork for Sophia Amoruso to launch Nasty Gal in 2006. Amoruso has also expressed interest in further exploring the global marketplace as Nasty Gal has started to gain popularity overseas (they are currently working to reduce shipping costs). In addition, Nasty Gal has managed to create a “cult-like” following in an era where consumers desire a connection to the brands they frequent and a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. Retailers today have also taken advantage of pop-up shops; a trend that has caught on with consumers and continues to gain momentum. Pop-up shops have successfully helped retailers gain brand awareness, new consumers or introduce new products regardless of their customer or price point. Most consumers are now familiar with pop-up shops and retailers considering opening one need to take careful steps to ensure the shop does not follow a standard format. The shop needs to both generate excitement and accurately represent the brand.
Competitive Landscape
Nasty Gal’s primary competitors include Urban Outfitters, Victoria’s Secret, Tobi, H&M and Forever 21. Both Urban Outfitters and Victoria’s Secret have created a strong in-store experience and very loyal customers. They offer similar styles at comparable prices and their clothing fits true to size. In addition, both operate brick-and-mortar stores where customers can touch and try on the clothing prior to purchasing. Unlike Nasty Gal, they are not considered “fast fashion”. Tobi, H&M and Forever 21, on the other hand rely on fast fashion and low price points. With the exception of Tobi, they also operate brick-and-mortar stores but do not offer a pleasant or organized store experience. As such, their customers are not loyal and generally will purchase from whomever offers the lowest price or newest “it” item first. After examining the biggest competitors, it is clear that Nasty Gal’s chief competitive advantage lies in offering the latest on-trend items in a store environment that is organized, welcoming and inspiring. By pairing fast fashion with a store environment that reflects the Nasty Gal brand and attitude, the Nasty Gal pop-up shop will not only be able to compete with these retailers, but dominate them as well.
Creating the Ultimate Nasty Gal Experience Nasty Gal’s success thus far can largely be attributed to successfully identifying and understanding their consumer and offering her both the fashion and the attitude she craves. Although the benefits of a successful pop up shop are clear, Nasty Gal must take care to deliver both. Due to the rise in popularity of pop up shops among retailers in recent years, simply creating a brick-and-mortar store that matches the Nasty Gal aesthetic is unlikely to generate level of increased brand awareness, penetration of the target market or sales volume Nasty Gal hopes to achieve. Because of this, Nasty Gal will forgo the traditional popup shop formula in favor of a truly unique shopping experience: a traveling party bus that has been renovated into a virtual “dream closet on wheels”. The idea of “fashion on wheels” has been around in Europe for a few years however it has only recently gained attention in the United States. Labeled “Fashion Food Trucks”, up-and-coming designers have found showing their merchandise in a store on wheels not only garners positive attention and brand awareness, but also keeps overhead costs down. Additionally, if a particular area no longer seems to be working for them, they simply pack up and drive somewhere else. Given the fact that Nasty Gal has never operated a brick and mortar store, this mobility and flexibility will prove as an invaluable way to test several major areas without committing to a lease or terms within a rental agreement. Further, the concept of “Fashion on Wheels” is still a relatively new concept in both the United States and Europe. As such, it is more than capable of generating the amount of “buzz” a new company such as Nasty Gal needs without much effort on the part of the retailer. The fact that Nasty Gal’s consumer is already extensively involved within social media networks and is accustomed to receiving and sharing news, tweets and posts from the retailer only amplifies this.
Location of the Pop-Up Bus A Popup Bus allows Nasty Gal the freedom to test several different locations and reach consumers in various parts of the United States. Despite this flexibility, Nasty Gal must take care to choose locations that are both realistic and low risk. Since a bus that does not go anywhere is not terribly exciting, Nasty Gal needs to identify several viable options. These locations must be attractive to consumers within the target market, be popular with tourists and locals alike, be located close to the warehouse/headquarters in Los Angeles and preferably located near a shopping center or downtown location. Based on these criteria, the top three “stops� include shopping centers in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas.
The first stop will be at The Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale, CA, just outside of Los Angeles. The Americana at Brand aka The Jewel City features restaurants, a movie theater, an outdoor plaza and park in addition to stores such as Urban Outfitters and other Nasty Gal competitors. In addition, it is located near the Glendale Galleria, a more upscale shopping center that attracts locals and tourists alike. The outdoor plaza and park prove ideal for the Nasty Gal Popup Bus as consumers will be unable to miss the Bus regardless of which “mall” entrance they choose. All retailers at The Americana at Brand are also open during peak shopping periods seven days a week (Mon-Thurs from 10am-9pm, FridaySaturday from 10am-10pm and Sunday from 11am-8pm). Nasty Gal will begin in their hometown for several reasons. First, consumers are likely to be familiar with either the brand or Amoruso and as such be more comfortable with the idea of shopping on a bus. Second, the successfulness of the first stop will be key to the success of the subsequent stops. Even with the best planning, mistakes will occur so it is essential that Nasty Gal be able to react and learn quickly. Starting near both their headquarters and warehouse allows this to become a reality.
The second stop on the Nasty Gal road trip will be in San Francisco. Located fairly close to Los Angeles, consumers will likely have heard about Nasty Gal and the first stop. In addition, San Francisco generally attracts open minded, fashion forward people who will appreciate both the edgy clothing and the new fashion venue. Like in Los Angeles, the bus will again stop at a popular shopping destination: the Embarcadero Center. The Embarcadero Center is an open aired mall located downtown along the waterfront. It features over 100 stores, a movie theater and multiple restaurants. The center is located on the base level of four skyscrapers that each offer a distinct personality through their individual architectural design, art and retail offerings. The stores are open seven days a week (Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturday 1am6pm and Sunday 12pm-5pm) however the centers restaurants, art exhibits and movie theater are open longer and attract both tourists and locals throughout the day. The third and final stop for the Nasty Gal Bus will be at “The Fashion Show” in Las Vegas. Located on Los Vegas Boulevard, the Fashion Show offers live entertainment for fashionistas. During the weekend, they hold live runway shows that retailers can use to showcase new merchandise on. The shopping center is home to
both high end and more moderately priced retailers as well as restaurants. Although stopping at The Fashion show offers the highest risk due to its distance from LA, it also offers the best opportunities for publicity. It attracts consumers who are looking for a more unique shopping experience and who are willing to devote hours, if not an entire weekend, to shopping and observing fashion. In addition, it offers Nasty Gal the chance to put on a low risk, well attended fashion show to either kick off their Vegas stop or celebrate the end of a successful shopping roadtrip. The center is open during peak shopping hours all week (Hours: Mon to Sat – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Store Layout and Ambience Choosing a bus for a popup shop presents several challenges in terms of space and accessibility. The novelty and thrill of shopping on a bus rather than in a store will quickly disappear if the bus appears crowded, overstocked or cluttered. The bus must provide ample space not only for the clothing, but also for the customers who wish to try on the clothes. Since one of the biggest weaknesses the pop up shop hopes to address is inaccurate fit and sizing of their garments, customers must have an exceptional fitting room experience. For this reason, Nasty Gal chose a double decker bus. The first floor will be exclusively used to showcase the clothing, while the second floor will be devoted to fitting rooms and also feature a limited assortment of accessories and shoes. The goal of this layout is to create “Nasty Gal Dream Closet” that allows shoppers to browse, try on and build their own ultimate closet.
Dream Closet Inspiration
Dream Closet Inspiration Continued
First Floor of Bus: Floor P lan
The first floor will be devoted to closet space for dresses, tops, bottoms, skirts and outerwear. Next to each closet will be long, thin mirrors. Both the mirrors and the closets will face outwards towards the center isle. The closets will mirror those in featured in the images above. The color scheme for the closets will be an off white taupe and the floors will be covered with a leopard print carpet. The free spaces on the walls will feature pop art in bright colors.
Second Floor of Bus: Floor P lan The second floor is dedicated to dressing rooms and features a select assortment of shoes and accessories. Each dressing room will feature a chair, full length mirror and an iPad Point of Sale device. Since shopping is typically a social event, seating and several 3-way mirrors are also provided on the second floor. Unlike the first floor, the second floor features a deep red carpeting. The mirrors match in an off white taupe and the fitting rooms close with a black-and-white floor length curtain. The second floor also features several manequins in styled outfits and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
Furnishings
Assortment
Due to the limitations in terms of storage space, the bus will only carry sample sizes of merchandise and serve as a sample store. Although customers will be able to purchase the garments they try on, they will do so through the Nasty Gal website and receive their purchases through the mail. This eliminates several issues in regards to space while still achieving the overall goal of eliminating sizing issues and building trust amongst consumers. In order to expedite the checkout process, customers will have two options for purchasing the merchandise. Each fitting room will feature a mounted iPad that connects to Nasty Gal’s website. Sales associates will scan the barcode of each item that the customer brings into the fitting room which will automatically be added to their “shopping cart” online. To purchase an item, customers simply review the items they tried on, select the ones they wish to purchase, enter their billing and shipping information and place the order. As an added service, each customer who enters the fitting room to try on an item will have a profile created for them. These profiles only require a First and Last name, however customers also have the option to enter their email address (to avoid confusion) and to sign up for e-mail blasts. Although this clearly helps Nasty Gal achieve the ultimate goal of increasing the number of social media followers and email signups, it is ultimately designed to keep track of the exact items customers try on. This allows the customer to purchase items without requiring them or the associates to search through the entire assortment online. In the even that a customer does not wish to purchase from the Popup shop that day, associates can email them the list of items they tried on should they change their minds down the road. Alternatively, each sales associate will also be equipped with an iPad in the event a customer not in a fitting room wishes to purchase an item.
Experience
The Nasty Gal popup shop will create the ultimate shopping adventure. Although they have thus far managed to give their customers an excellent online shopping experience, opening a popup shop allows them to take it to the next level. Customers will be able to touch and feel the products, interact with trained, fashionsavvy Nasty Gal team members and increase their familiarity with the brand. In addition, it will allow Nasty Gal to increase brand awareness, penetrate their target market and ultimately generate sales. To accomplish these goals, the Nasty Gal fashion bus must embody the same exciting, fun and fresh shopping experience that is found online. The design and inspiration behind the layout and aesthetic of the bus came from the idea of the “ultimate dream closet”. When customers enter the fashion bus, they should feel like Carrie from Sex and the City when she entered her custom made closet designed by Mr. Big. Customers can pick and choose from the assortment to build the ultimate wardrobe.
In order to attract attention from shoppers who may be unfamiliar with Nasty Gal, customers will be encouraged to linger around the bus both before and after shopping. Next to the bus will be a party tent with mocktails, finger foods, a jukebox and lounge area. This will allow customers to socialize and engage with Nasty Gal team members as well as draw attention to the bus. The Nasty Gal customer enjoys social gatherings, good music, shopping and meeting new people. The party tent will serve as the “after party” where customers can mingle and continue a shopping experience they will never forget.
Marketing Strategy
Nasty Gal is already incredibly well connected to its customers and fan base. With over 300,000 followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, they can easily and quickly spread information about new products and upcoming events. In addition, Nasty Gal has grown in popularity and profitability in large part to positive wordof-mouth and referrals from its loyal fan base. Further, the novelty of a “fashion bus” will likely gain extensive and immediate attention. As such, they will not require out of the ordinary measures to spread the news of the bus and will rely on email blasts, social media posts and updates, word-of-mouth and media buzz. In order to encourage customers to spread the word generate excitement, Nasty Gal will hold hashtag sweepstakes on Twitter and Instagram. Each week, customers who upload or tweet images that are hashtagged #NastyGal, are automatically entered to win a $50 gift certificate.