DEATH OF PUREPLAY RETAIL

INTELLIGENCE REPORT DEATH OF PUREPLAY RETAIL FLASH OF GENIUS

Differentiation Through Store Locations Casper, Harry’s Stores allow evolved retailers to differentiate in a crowded marketplace, particularly versus pureplay e-tailer counterparts. Mattress brand Casper opened its first showroom in New York City in the fall of 2014, and followed with a Los Angeles location soon after. Customers are encouraged to try out the Casper mattress and “nap” in the apartment-style showrooms. The brand has also experimented with popup locations throughout the U.S. Casper’s Washington DC “Snooze Bar” featured coffee and waffles by day and cocktails by night, and allowed customers to schedule an appointment to take a nap. More recently, the retailer launched “Casper Nap Tours,” which visited seven cities in a trailer converted to Casper “nap pods.” These investments have helped to differentiate Casper from similar “bed-in-a-box” pureplay companies, including Saatva and Tuft and Needle, while better helping consumers to understand the Casper product. Harry’s, a men’s grooming brand, has similarly distinguished itself from competitor Dollar Shave Club by opening a brick-and-mortar location. The Harry’s Cornershop is a neighborhood barbershop in New York City that offers haircuts, shaves, beard trims, and Harry’s shaving products. Customers can book an appointment with one of Harry’s four barbers online. The brand also created a “cut archive” app that records each customer’s cut and preferences for future visits.

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1. Customers can make an appointment online to visit Casper’s showrooms where they can nap on the mattress and even listen to a bedtime story. 2. Casper converted a trailer into four nap pods, extending its physical footprint further than just New York and LA where it offers showrooms.

3. Harry’s barbershop differentiates it from Dollar Shave Club, which offers a similar razor subscription service.

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January 12, 2016