Posen Popping Up in NYC for Target
Shoppers in Manhattan will get an early preview of the new Zac Posen for Target
line at the chain’s newest pop-up store located on Eighth Ave. at 34th
St. The store will open only for 24 hours beginning at 11 p.m. on April
15.
According to New York Magazine, the pop-up store is being marketed
as a "shopping party" that will include performances by the alternate
rock group The Like as well as musical sets spun by D.J.’s.
Mr. Posen, an upscale
designer who hails from New York, will see his collection for Target hit stores
and the chain’s website beginning on April 25. The line "includes
a variety of party-ready frocks and day-to-day wear in graffiti prints and
bold colors" with prices ranging from $16.99 to $199.
"Zac Posen brings larger-than-life style to his Target collection, creating
a covetable line with a modern edge," said Trish Adams, senior vice president,
Target, in a press release. "We are excited to share his extraordinary
talent with our guests, providing accessible off-the-runway fashion at great
prices."
Discussion Questions: What is your assessment of Target’s
pop-up store strategy in general terms as well as its 24-hour shopping party
planned for April 15 in New York City? What will the deal with Zac Posen do
for Target’s standing as a clothing retailer?
For anyone following Target for the past few years, the Zac Posen launch isn’t the first of its kind and probably won’t be the last. Target took a page from H&M by strengthening its “fast fashion” effort with quick in-and-out “collections” like this one. (And Target has been associated with designer “names” throughout the store for a long time, going back at least to Michael Graves.) The pop-up store concept is a great way for Target to generate PR buzz for the Zac Posen goods in a fairly cost-effective way, considering the scale of the launch.
As a shopper marketing professional, I continually admire Target’s willingness to surprise and delight consumers with fresh and innovative fashion as well as merchandising. I wish I could get to NYC to check it out in real life. Kudos to Target for the approach. I wish they’d put this out on the road to more markets to get more shoppers up off the couch and out in the marketplace where living and shopping converge.
Good move, Target! Keep the focus on fun, fast fashion, bring it forward. Pop-up stores can be a very successful marketing platform–creating an intro to new lines and “boutique” assortment of products aimed at the best consumers. Pop-up stores get shopper attention, and can create a memorable experience. Expect to see more pop-ups in interesting places.
Target is doing a great job of ‘re-inventing’ their apparel category. Bringing in popular designers and creating products that cover all price points is always a good direction for Target. Their buying group is diverse and will probably gobble up these items.
As for the splash, I love it. Target needs a strong presence in the NYC market and how else could you market to a 24 hour kinda town? Have a 24 hour shopping party. New Yorkers love to shop and party. Makes total sense to an ops guy like me.
You know, I just have to ask, is this all flash and no cash? Most of the time in the past, I had to agree with all the statements above, “great job, Target!” but then, when push came to shove and the recession hit, it was Walmart who had the better strategy. They didn’t have as much ‘flash’ going for them they just did a better job of delivering on their brand promise.
So, while these pop-up stores really seem to make a lot of noise, is it moving the dial? Target’s business is a little better now after a soft year or two, but do these launches and pop-up bangs actually work? Or are we all just buying into the noise?
Creating events, excitement, and breaking out of the department store mode is the goal. They’re accomplishing this and with the economy on a slow rebound, it should be beneficial. The pop-up store concept and latest fashion trends are consistent with their branding.
I love this stuff. The Posen (posing?) pop-up stores will generate excitement by creating events in Target stores. Can you imagine the Posen poseur traffic during back-to-school shopping? You can “Vogue” to Madonna tunes while waiting in checkout lines. Just don’t emphasize the “off-the-runway fashion” aspect in stores near airports. Sometimes it’s fashionable to remain ON the runway.
This is a great idea and speaks to the importance of retailers not resting on their laurels but rather enticing and involving customers (ala the Macy’s Flower Show). If these “events” go away and pop-up stores cease to exist, it will be very boring for the consumer who is willing to get out there and shop. Regarding the Wal-Mart comment–yes, Wal-Mart did well during the recession; however, they don’t compare to the innovation of the designer lines at Target.
While it may seem a bit narcissistic of women to be so interested in “labels,” the fact of the matter is that wearing an article of clothing with a designer label will sell to fashionistas. Wal-Mart doesn’t appeal to the same fashionable shopper (Miley Cyrus and Kathy Lee Gifford are not designers–Target knows the designers and knows the popularity of them (Zac Posen and Jean Paul Gaultier) and helps deliver those elite and sought-after brands to the masses.
I hate to be a dissenting voice here, but this strikes me as all smoke and mirrors, with little intrinsic value behind it, and continuing a pattern of mixed strategic and marketing messages.
I’ve said this before on this forum, but I continue to see Target caught between Walmart and Kohl’s. Their apparel offerings aren’t as inexpensive as Walmart (and Walmart simply does a better job on the hardgoods side of the floor), while Kohl’s offers better quality and styling at nearly comparable price points.
I understand what Target is trying to do here, but they are in a bind. There’s simply too much dissonance, in my judgment, between trying to establish yourself as a fashion destination at the same time you’re reconfiguring thousands of square feet to also be a grocery and HBA destination.
I have to agree with Ted about the mixed strategic and marketing messages, with Target’s intent to get deeper into the HBA business, but I disagree with him on Target’s fashion strategy.
The Posen event fits right into Target’s plans to offer recognized fashion at affordable prices. No it’s not as low as Wal-Mart, but that is not where America gets its fashion sense. And Kohl’s is where to find staples of fashion necessities like white shirts and underwear at competitive price points. I can’t say I own anything from Kohl’s that I would boast about.
Let’s all applaud Target for continuing to EXPERIMENT and being brave enough to interest and satisfy New Yorkers.
I do like the idea of food and HBA being available at Target for convenient one-stop-shopping trips.
I agree with Jerry. This isn’t for ALL Target shoppers; this is for that slice of their shopper demographic that loves style and fashion and is willing to to go the extra mile to get it. Look at the popularity of Gilt.com! They have managed to do the near impossible…get people to type in a URL on a daily basis just in case they might snag a fabulous luxury item for a great price. Target is tapping into this same passion for the treasure hunt and dangling a carrot to be first to get a coveted item. They are doing a fantastic job with style and I also applaud their creativity on all levels here.