RISING LOTUS POP-UP PROJECT
FASM 410 Retail Management Sidney Yost
TABLE OF CONTEN TS
Executive Summary 5 Company Overview 6 About the Founder 8 Company History 9 Market Research 13 SWOT Analysis 17 Pop-Up Objectives 18 Customer Information 20 Core Customer 23 Pop-Up Customer 25 Competition 26 Direct Competitiors 27 Competitive Shopping Analysis 31 Indirect Competitors 32 Pop-Up Location 34 Location Information 36 Location Analysis 37
TABLE OF CONTEN TS
Design Needs 39 Mood 40 Color Story 41 Details 42 Drawings 44 Final Renderings 48 Floorplan 50 Inside Elevation 52 Product Assortment 57 Total Assortment 59 Collection Assortment 60 Visual Merchandising 64 Planogram 65 Promotion 68 Work Cited 72
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Rising Lotus is a boutique women’s athleisure label, based out of Hong Kong that is growing and expanding. A pop-up shop will take place in order to promote the brand image, create an interactive experience for customers to enjoy, and build customer relationships. Rising Lotus is new to its market and takes advantage of all possible exposure and this popup will be wonderful for that. I have collaborated with a SCAD interior designer to create the vision for this pop-up and make sure every aspect stays on brand. This booklet has all the details and directions needed in order to explain the vision of this pop-up and make it possible.
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COMPANY OVERVIEW
WHAT IS RISING LOTUS
Rising Lotus is a boutique women’s athleisure label, based out of Hong Kong, that caters to the unique and active individual. RL believes that in order to look good, you have to feel good. Therefore, the company creates comfortable, functional and stylish clothing for active, young women all around the world. Whether you are at the gym or on the street, you will definitely stand out wearing Rising Lotus designs.
Rising Lotus cares about positive body image and healthy living. The company aims to empower young women to be strong and confident. A way RL does this is by telling their customers:
“You are unique! You are special! You are like a Lotus Flower. You can bloom out of the darkness and radiate into the world. Be Happy! Be Bright! Be You!”
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ABOUT THE FOUNDER Rising Lotus was founded by fashion designer and fitness enthusiast, Vivien So, in August 2016. Vivien lived in California for 8 years before moving back to Hong Kong in 2015. Frustrated with the limited choices in the athleisure category in Hong Kong, Vivien decided to start her own brand, Rising Lotus. The brand’s aesthetic is “a blend of California casual and Hong Kong Island Chic.” (risinglotusclothing. com) Every item is thoughtfully designed and beautifully made, using only fabrics of the highest quality.
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COMPANY HISTORY
At the start in 2016, Rising Lotus products were only available for purchase online. As a Hong Kong based brand, this served some difficulties due to the fact that the Hong Kong customer enjoys making purchases in person. In order to engage with the market more directly, Rising Lotus started producing pop-up stores about once a month. These varied in location, size, and style, but all were beneficial for the brand. After doing pop-ups, sales started to pick up and more people were recognizing and becoming loyal to the brand. (risinglotusclothing.com)
In August of 2018, just two short years after the start of Rising Lotus, Vivien So and business partner Christina Wan (owner of jewelry label Kookii B) opened a multi-brand fashion and lifestyle retailer in the heart of Soho, Central, Hong Kong. Ohemia is the first permanent, non-pop-up, brick-and-mortar location to sell Rising Lotus.
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BELIEFS AND DREAMS “We are just starting out but we have big dreams. Our dream is to share our passion for fashion and fitness with all liked-minded women all around the world. We want to build a strong community of RL girls who support and inspire each other. We believe that together, we can do great things!�
SUSTAINABILITY
Rising Lotus cares about the environment and the impact that the fashion industry makes on it. Recycling can be difficult in Hong Kong but Rising Lotus makes a great effort to do its part as a company. Above the multi-brand store Ohemia is where the Rising Lotus design workshop is located. At this location, there is zero plastic used and everything that can be recycled is taken to the proper place. (risinglotusclothing.com)
RL’s packaging is made from corn and therefore biodegradable. When a customer purchases from Rising Lotus, instead of getting a paper or plastic shopping bag, they are given a reusable, drawstring bag. This promotes using this same bag again the next time you shop the brand.
Sustainability has always been at the forefront of the brand’s mission and goals, although quality product is important as well. Rising Lotus has come to be known for its extremely comfortable, breathable, and durable fabrics. After a few years of research and testing, RL has developed a fabric that feels the exact same as before, but is made from 90% recycled polyester. This sustainable line will be available for purchase in Spring of 2019 and will continue to be the main fabric of the brand.
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SALES CHANNELS Ohemia
Located in Central, Hong Kong Opened August 2018 Shared Location with Other Local Jewelry & Accessory Brands
Online Sales From Rising Lotus Website
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MARKET RESEARCH
RISING LOTUS IN THE MARKET Rising Lotus is still a new and growing brand in the Hong Kong women’s activewear market. RL continues to see growth in sales and engagement and is aiming to take up a bigger share of the market in the future. Rising Lotus is also looking into expanding more into the Chinese market soon as well. Due to its product categories, Rising Lotus fits under the sportswear segmentation of the market and the womenswear category.
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SPORTS & SWIMWEAR IN HONG KONG
“Revenue in the Sports & Swimwear segment amounts to US $87m in 2018. The market is expected to grow annually by 1.1%. In global comparison, most revenue is generated in the United States (US $12,881m in 2018).� - Statista
Hong Kong is filled with beautiful mountains, trails, and an overall landscape. Because of these picturesque views that are seen all over social media, hiking and exploring nature are popular in Hong Kong. In these photos, people wear trendy, athleisure clothing to look cute for the Instagram.
There has also become a demand for sportswear and athleisure in recent years as lifestyles are changing in Hong Kong. Exercise and a healthy lifestyle has become more important in Hong Kong more recently than ever before. More gyms and yoga studios have been opening around every corner and people are wearing sportswear a lot more often.
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WOMENSWEAR IN HONG KONG In 2017, women’s leggings were recorded to have the highest current value growth of 3%. Leggings are commonly worn by women in Hong Kong as they can be very versatile and comfortable, no matter the occasion. Women have become more accepting of leggings in every-day life. Euromonitor reports that, “With this changing perception among consumers, women’s leggings is expected to continue to record growth over the forecast period”.
Rising Lotus is an athletic brand that sells leggings, sports bras, swimsuits, and more. With the current trends in Hong Kong, it is known that athletic and outdoor activities, as well as wellness, will continue to become more popular. Also, it is known that leggings will stay in style by women in many different situations. These factors will allow there to be more opportunity and demand for Rising Lotus clothing.
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S
O
Style & Comfort Designed In-House Sense of Community Authenticity Quality of Products CUstomer Service
Build More Local Awareness Expand Products - More Markets / Locations Grow Sales
Social Media Impact Still Building Brand Awareness & Loyalty Above Median Price Point
Other Rising Competitors Sustainabilty Possible Decline in Athleisure Trend
W
T
POP-UP STORE OBJECTIVES • Grow Local Brand Awarenes • Gain Instagram Followers • Get Content for Social Media & Create an Instagramable Experience • Create a Fun / Interactive Experience for Customers • Launch New SS’19 90% Recycled Polyester Collection • Educate Consumers on Product • Sell Product • Grow a Like-Minded Community
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POP-UP STORE DETAILS • When: April 16 - 26, 2019 • How Long: 11 days, includes 2 weekends • Why Then: This time is the beginning Spring and the pop-up will be promoting the new SS’19 collection. Wednesday the 22nd is Earth Day and will be a popular day for people to be at this location and promote sustainability.
CUSTOMER INFORMATION
SHE IS... BOLD FREE-SPIRITED ADVENTUROUS ACTIVE HAPPY BEAUTIFUL INSPIRING PASSIONATE
She is... Rising Lotus!
CUSTOMER PROFILE Demographics: Ages 18-35 Student / Working Class Female Educated / Has Degree Does Not Have Children Aware of Environmental Impact
Psychographics Into Yoga / Fitness Helthy Lifestyle Interested in Sustainability Creative / Artistic Adeventurous Spends Money on Experience
Geographic Differences: Majority reside in Hong Kong Most of others live in the United States Climates Vary in these Locations Growth Rate of Athleisure Varies Active Hours a Day May Vary
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CORE CUSTOMER • A local Hong Kong resident • Owns multiple Rising Lotus pieces • Socially active in the local wellness community • Attends yoga classes frequently • Loyal to RL and supports each new collection • Attends pop-up shops regularly
SECONDARY CUSTOMER • A tourist to Hong Kong • Heard about the brand through social media • Stumbled upon a pop-up or store location while visiting Hong Kong • Enjoys wellness and midfulness • Ocassionally / often takes yoga classes • Looking for a cute outfit from a local brand • Goes on a hike during her vacation
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POP-UP TARGET CUSTOMER • A mixture of core and secondary RL customers • Women and girls • Hong Kong locals • Tourists • Enjoys wellness and midfulness • Lives an active and healthy lifestyle • Takes yoga classes • Looking for an experience more than just shopping
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COMPETITION
DIRECT COMPETITORS As a local Hong Kong boutique athleisure brand, Rising Lotus has a few different types of competitors in the area. The two most direct competitors are RUMI X and MISS RUNNER. Both are similar start-up brands that are also based out of Hong Kong. The next competitor is Lululemon. Although Lululemon also offers similar products, Lulu has a larger assortment of products and a wider range of customers. All three of these direct competitors are sold near Ohemia, where Rising Lotus is offered, and near the location of the pop-up shop. For the most part, all three of these brands share similar values with Rising Lotus and have an almost identical target customer, but overall, RL is bolder and edgier.
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RUMI X
When it comes to the start of the companies, RUMI X and Rising Lotus have some similarities. RUMI X, a female based athliesure brand, was founded in 2015 by Melissa Chu, who was originally from San Francisco, California. Each RUMI X design is inspired from the world around us and “feel good” mantras from the poet Rumi. RUMI X’s core values include: mindfulness, quality, respect, consciousness, innovation, transformation, and passion.
Fabrics are made using technical and sustainable methods and materials including recycled plastic bottles, upcycled coffee grounds, and water-based ink dyes. Products are priced ranging from HK$ 300 to HK$ 700. The product categories are similar to Rising Lotus but include different styles.
MISS RUNNER
MISS RUNNER is a female activewear label based in Hong Kong that focuses on uniting original art creations with performance activewear. This brand has different collaborations with artists from around the world in order to create unique, feminine designs. MISS RUNNER’s motto is, “we achieve, we do good, we feel good”.
MISS RUNNER has a similar product offering to Rising Lotus. The prints and designs of the garments differ in few ways and often mix solids and prints into one design. Products are priced starting around HK$ 350 to HK$ 450. MISS RUNNER offers wholesale enquiries on its website and currently its competitors Rising Lotus and RUMI X do not offer this.
LULULEMON
Although Lululemon is a direct competitor to Rising Lotus in Central, Hong Kong, it is a different type of competitor than RUMI X and MISS RUNNER. Lululemon was founded in Vancouver, Canada and has been around for a bit longer than the other brands, since 1998. Lululemon is a technical athletic apparel company that sells products and garments for yoga, running, training, and most other sweat pursuits.
Lululemon offers products for females and males, unlike the competitors. Lululemon has a much wider range of products, but the women’s yoga basics run from around HK$ 420 to HK$ 1,080. Rising Lotus customers are known to shop at Lululemon for basics, and RL for fun pieces.
• Strong Core Values • Lower Priced Products • Variety of Styles • Sustainable Fabrics • More Instagram Followers
• Unique Designs • Sells Yoga Mats • Offers Wholesale • Artist Collaborations
• Quality Products • Stong Brand Image • Community Envolvement • Multiple Marketing Channels • Has a Large Platform
• Lower Priced Products • Lower Quality Producs • Low Instagram Engagment • No Hong Kong Brick-and-Mortar
• More Specific Customer • Price / Quality Perception • Low Instagram Engagement • No Hong Kong Brick-and-Mortar
• Higher Price Point • More Basics / Less Prints • Not From Hong Kong • Mass Marketed
WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS
DIRECT COMPETITIVE SHOPPING ANALYSIS
INDIRECT COMPETITORS These three indirect competitors of Rising Lotus all offer a vast and wide variety of products, compared to RL. Adidas offers men’s, women’s and children’s sportswear clothing as well as athletic shoes and sporting accessories. Gap and H&M both offer clothing for all of these same groups of people, but sell more than just activewear, Gap focuses more on lifestyle, day-to-day clothing, while H&M is sells trend-based pieces as well as basics. Both Gap and H&M have sportswear/activewear categories of clothing, but this is not these companies main points of sales. Adidas, Gap, and H&M all have many store locations in Hong Kong which makes them all conveniently competitors to Rising Lotus.
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RISING LOTUS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE • Authentic brand and values • Strong veliefs and vision • Rising Lotus really knows its customer • Cares about quality and craftsmenship • The founder plays a big role in the brand • The lifestyle of the “RL Girl” • Sense of community • Has learned the market through pop-ups
LOCATION ANALYSI S
POP-UP LOCATION: CHATER GARDEN
MTR ENTRANCE / EXIT
POP-UP LOCATION
Chater Garden is located a short walk away from the coast of the Victoria Harbour in Central, Hong Kong. It is a quaint and serene, small urban park that houses a variety of tree and plant species. Chater Garden has a central fountain that flows water into pools that move through the space. The main Plaza area is pictured above and is a cement floored, uncovered area that is enclosed on the sides with trees. This is the main open space on Chater Garden and where the Rising Lotus pop-up shop will be located.
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CHATER GARDEN ANALYSIS
The Chater Garden is located in a prime shopping part of Hong Kong and is in between two major shopping areas: the IFC Mall and Pacific Place. Locating the pop-up shop inbetween these shopping spots will ensure that people in the area are already looking to shop while they are over there and are willing to take time to walk through the popup and buy something. There will be a variety of poeple hangning out in this area of town on the weekends, but will have a mixture of business workers, locals, and tourists, mostly with disposable incomes.
This location is nearby a few Pure Fitness and Yoga locations, which is great for promoting the pop-up. It will be easily accessible to people going to and from a workout or yoga class. The Chater Garden is also close to one of the Rising Lotus competitors, the Lululemon on Finance Street. When people find out that this pop-up is close to where they are already shopping for similar products, they will be likely to walk over and check it out.
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LOCATION JUSTIFICATION
This area of town is popular for tourists to walk around and explore, as well as an area for locals to hang out. In 2018, Hong Kong has a population of 7,428,887 people. In 2016, Hong Kong Island alone was home to 1,253,417 people, 243,266 of them living in the Central and Western area which is where the pop-up will be located. Located near the Central MTR stop J2, there is a lot of foot traffic nearby as well as going through Chater Garden and the Plaza itself. The peaceful and serene environment of the Garden will help interest consumers who are just passing by and intrigue them into checking out the pop-up.
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DESIGN NEEDS
MOOD AND THEME
The overall theme and mood of the pop-up is the same as the Rising Lotus brand and the store Ohemia. The popup will portray California inspiration and bohemian vibes, as this is what Rising Lotus is based around. The consumer will feel calm in the space and be able to enjoy the shopping experience because of this. Colors, materials, and textures throughout the pop-up will all be very neutral, natural, and organic. Materials will include lots of light colored wood, and green plants everywhere. These materials and decorations will create a very positive and bright experience and environment for the consumers.
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POP-UP COLOR STORY The pop-up will include colors that are consistent with the already existing brand image. These neutral and natural colors will blend well together throughout the shop and present an organic and California inspired atmosphere. The neutrals and tans will be used for the floor and most of the fixtures, as well as some accent and decorative pieces. The green colors will be displayed throughout the pop-up as plants will cover the entrance, placed throughout the layout, and on the photo wall in the yoga area. Hues of blue will appear in many places of the pop-up as well as on the clothes and yoga mats being sold.
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SPECIFIC DETAILS
In order to achieve its objectives, the pop-up will include some specific areas and consider certain details. There will be a sense of open space as customers walk through the pop-up. Nothing will be too crowded or placed too tightly together. This will help give a sense of ease as someone is walking around. To go along with the theme and aesthetic of the brand and store, natural light will be the main source of light filling up the pop-up. As people will be able to purchase Rising Lotus clothing while at the pop-up, there will be dressing rooms in order for customers to try these garments on. As the interactive and experienced based part of the popup there will be an area dedicated to practicing yoga for customers and for photo opportunities.
BE-JUICED+BAR
Be-Juiced+Bar is a juice bar and restaurant in Central, Hong Kong. Be-Juiced aims to bring the dietary concept of a natural body detoxification and restoration to Hong Kong. At its brickand-mortar location, Be-Juiced sells juices, smoothies, acai bowls, and other healthy snacks. Located at 45 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong, Be-Juiced+Bar is just around the corner from the store Ohemia, where Rising Lotus is sold. Many people enjoy getting a juice, smoothie, or healthy snack after partaking in a yoga class. At the pop-up, Be-Juiced+Bar will collaborate with Rising Lotus and have pre-made juices available for the customers to purchase (pre-made juices presented to the left). By selling juices, the pop-up will create an experience for the customer that is more of a hang out, rather than just shopping.
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DRAWINGS
Drawings were created by INDS collaborator Kassy Kim
ELEVATION
Photo Wall / Back of Yoga Area
Front Wall / Entrance By Kassy Kim
ADDED DETAILS
Front Wall / Entrance
Detail of Plants on Entrance
View from Inside Front Wall
By Kassy Kim
SIDE ELEVATIONS
View from Right
View from Left
By Kassy Kim
FINAL RENDERINGS
Renderings were created by INDS collaborator Kassy Kim
FRONT ELEVATION
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FLOORPLAN
FLOORPLAN 1
Photo Backdrop Wall
2
Yoga Practicing Area
3
Dressing Rooms
4
Checkout Counter
5
Mirror Wall
6
Clothes Racks
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Lounge Area
8
Engraved Logo
1 4
3
5 2
6
8
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INSIDE ELEVATED VIEW
INSIDE ELEVATED VIEW 1
Yoga Mat Display
2
Clothes Rack &
Storage Baskets
3
RL Quote Wall
4
Be-Juiced
Refrigerator
5
Standing Mirror
1 3 2
4 5
LEFT ELEVATED VIEW
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RIGHT ELEVATED VIEW
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BACK ELEVATION
Back of Pop-Up Shop
Back of Photo Wall
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
Rising Lotus is a boutique activewear brand that focuses its product categories on clothing for yoga. Currently, RL offers clothes from a few different collections that all include the same types of garments: leggings, sports bras, tank tops, and shorts. RL also offers intimates, which is made up of different styles of bras, and a few pieces of swimwear. The main reason for the timing of the pop-up will be to present and educate consumers on the newest Spring Summer ’19 Collection, therefore this will be the key product category of the pop-up. The pop-up will also include products from the Essential collection, some of Rl’s Intimates, and the unique Rising Lotus Yoga Mats will be available for purchase. Yoga Mats will also be a key product category for promotional purposes.
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ASSORTMENT PLAN SS ’19 Collection 35% Essential Collection 25% Intimates 25% Yoga Mats 15%
SS ’19 COLLECTION Category
Item
% of Product
Category % of Total
Sports Bra
Sports Bra 1
25%
Sports Bra 2
25%
Sports Bra 3
25%
Sports Bra 4
25%
Leggings
Leggings 1
25%
Leggings 2
25%
Leggings 3
25%
Leggings 4
25%
Tank Top
Tank Top 1
25%
Tank Top 2
25%
Tank Top 3
25%
Tank Top 4
25%
Shorts
Shorts 1
50%
Shorts 2
50%
30%
30%
30%
10%
ESSENTIAL COLLECTION Category
Item
Color
Price HKD
% of Item
Sports Bra
Balance Crossover
Black
$420
30%
Balance Crossover
Navy
$420
20%
Balance Crossover
White
$420
25%
Mesh Panel Bra
Black
$420
10%
Zip Me Up Bra
Black
$420
15%
Leggings
Bicolor Leggings
Black
$880
15%
Hug Me Leggings
Black
$800
35%
Hug Me Leggings
Navy
$800
30%
Hug Me Leggings
Teal
$800
20%
Tank Top
Braided T-Back Top
Blue
$450
15%
Braided T-Back Top
Pink
$450
15%
Braided T-Back Top
White
$450
30%
Chaturanga Crop
Black
$450
20%
Lace Me Up Top
Grey
$450
20%
% of Total 35%
30%
35%
INTIMATES Category Bra
Item
Color
Price HKD
% of Item
% of Total
Extreme Low Back
Black
$195
35%
20%
Extreme Low Back
Tan
$195
30%
Extreme Low Back
White
$195
35%
Barely There
Black
$220
50%
Barely There
White
$220
50%
Ribbed Criss Cross
Black
$85
35%
Ribbed Criss Cross
Tan
$85
30%
Ribbed Criss Cross
White
$85
35%
Padded Everyday
Black
$250
50%
Padded Everyday
White
$250
50%
Isabella Bra
Black
$290
30%
Isabella Bra
White
$290
30%
Isabella Bra
Pink
$290
20%
Isabella Bra
Grey
$290
20%
15% 20%
15% 30%
YOGA MATS
Category
Item
Color
Price HKD
% of Item
Yoga Mat
Mandala Yoga Mat
Navy
$650
50%
Mandala Yoga Mat
Pink
$650
50%
% of Total 100%
VISUAL MERCHANDISING
FLOORPLAN PLANOGRAM
BE-JUICED JUICES
ESSENTIAL COLLECTION
YOGA MATS INTIMATES
SS ’19 COLLECTION
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BE-JUICED JUICES
FLOORPLAN PLANOGRAM
Each clothing rack will hang 14 items, one of each category/color. All of the other sizes will be placed in the baskets underneath each clothes rack. This will keep the racks clean and organized and the back-stock easily accessible. This will also make the customer thing there are less of each item therefore they are more likely to be interested in buying it. There will be one blue and one pink yoga mat on the yoga mat display wall. The rest of the mats will be folded up in the baskets below it, for customers to easily grab and purchase. The flow of the floorplan is purposely planned the way it is. The newest collection will grab customer’s attention as soon as they walk in, then intimates will separate it from the essential collection. The essential collection is located near the fitting room in case the customer needs to grab a basic to try on with something else.
ESSENTIAL COLLECTION YOGA MATS INTIMATES SS ’19 COLLECTION
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Navy Hug Me Leggings
Pink Braided T-Back Top
Black Zip Me Up Bra
White Braided T-Back Top
Bicolor Leggings
Navy Balance Crossover
Grey Lace Me Up Top
Black Hug Me Leggings
White Balance Crossover
Black Mesh Panel Bra
Blue Braided T-Back Top
Black Balance Crossover
Teal Hug Me Leggings
Black Chaturanga Crop
ESSENTIALS HANGING RACK PLANOGRAM
PROMOTION
POP-UP PROMOTION This ‘flyer’ is the main form of promotion for the Rising Lotus Spring Pop-Up. This will be sent out via email and all social media platforms, as well as being printed out and given to people who come into the Ohemia store as well as Be-Juiced+Bar. Both of these locations will promote the event. The email will be sent out at the time of the launch of the new collection and a day before this gets posted on Instagram. THe email will be sent out to Rising Lotus’ and Ohemia’s email mailing lists.
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Chater Garden, Hong Kong
INSTAGRAM PROMOTION
Instagram is Rising Lotus’ most used social media platform. Whenever RL is announcing anthing about the brand, or about a pop-up shop, RL presents this information on Instagram for all of their followers to see and share with their friends. The Pop-Up will be announced on an Instagram post about 2 weeks before it takes place. From this time until when the Pop-Up happens, RL will post this promotional flyer to the page’s Instagram stories to remind their followers.
Come out to Chater Garden to check out our Pop-Up shop! There will be Yoga classes, a photo area, lots of cute new clothes, juice from Be-Juiced, and great vibes!
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THANK YOU
WORK CITED https://www.sassymamahk.com/yoga-active-wear-athleisure-buy-style/ www.risinglotusclothing.com A lot of my information is from interviewing the founder, Vivien So Statistics from Euromonitor Statistics from Statista https://be-juicedbar.business.site/#details www.shopohemia.com https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HK_Central_Chater_Garden_Umbrella_a.jpg https://www.bycensus2016.gov.hk/en/bc-dp.html http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/china-hong-kong-sar-population/ https://rumixfeelgood.com/pages/who-we-are https://info.lululemon.com.hk/about?mnid=ftr;en-HK;about-us https://missrunner.com/pages/about-us
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