Can Brandless deliver on its lofty goals in a pop-up?

Brandless, which sells everyday items “from snacks to soap to serving spoons” for $3.00 each, opened its pop-up in New York City for four reasons: community, taste and trial, range and education, Tina Sharkey, co-founder and CEO, said in an interview with RetailWire.

A major theme of the pop-up is focusing on Brandless’s message of practicing “one tangible act of kindness at a time.”

Brandless also wants to use the pop-up is to physically engage fans who regularly submit recipes featuring the company’s items as well as feedback to its blog and social channels.

A second objective is trial. The store features a full tasting wall of non-GMO, organic and vegan snacks, a fair-trade coffee station, a beauty lounge and a taste flight menu station.

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Double the size of its first pop-up in West Hollywood, the NYC location showcases all of Brandless’s 300-plus products of edited assortments and provides two terminals for making online purchases. Only a “Best of Brandless” box of 11 items and t-shirts are for sale as the store.

Finally, a major focus is education on the quality and origin of Brandless’s offerings. A bamboo forest installation explains how tree-free paper goods can be made from sugarcane and bamboo grasses, the fair-trade coffee installation highlights the importance of supporting fair wages and safe working conditions and the more than 400 questionable ingredients banned are detailed at the beauty lounge.

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Brandess also takes the opportunity to educate customers on its “Just What Matters” philosophy. That includes its partnership with Feeding America, a “kindness corner” where visitors can send postage-free postcards with mantras such as “Run Towards, Not From” and “Laugh More. Love More. Live More” to loved ones and other areas where visitors are encouraged to write down what they’re grateful for as well as their inspirations and aspirations.

While Brandless's prices are comparable to national brands on most products, they discount their better-for-you products by 40 percent or more. It's a tactic designed to recruit customers to become advocates of the values the company espouses.

Said Ms. Sharkey, “Our promise that’s included on every package is, 'Here at Brandless we put people first, which means value and values stick together. Better stuff, fewer dollars, no nonsense. Join us.” But the two most important words are ‘Join us.’”

• Brandless Brings Pop-Up With Purpose To NYC – Brandless/PRNewswire
• Come Experience the Brandless Pop-Up with Purpose in NYC – Brandless
• Are $3.00 generics a sound grocery e-tailing mode? – RetailWire