The Hampton’s has traditionally been the summer getaway destination for NYC’s rich and famous. But since the pandemic began in late February, many Hampton’s homeowners living in the city have left Manhattan for the Hampton’s to wait for the pandemic to end. According to the latest numbers of the Suffolk Planning Commission, the current population in Hamptons between Eastport and Montauk Point is more than a quarter of a million high net-worth residents.
The Hampton’s area has become so flooded with city residents that moved out during the pandemic and the helicopter service Blade, which offers NY to Hampton’s trips announced in an email blast to customers at the beginning of the summer that it will be doing daily trips back and forth to make deliveries of essential goods and medications to the Hampton’s residents.Source
As a result, a handful of retail and luxury brands have taken into consideration this shift and are quickly having to adapt to the trend. For example, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth announced Complimentary same- day delivery to the Hampton’s. Source
Luxury retail brands such as Jimmy Choo, Giorgio Armani, Paul Stuart have opened pop-up stores as well. Considering the current pandemic situation, the newly opened pop up stores are opening new ways to shop offering private and virtual appointments, contactless payments and curbside pick up. What’s more, Jimmy Choo has introduced Choo to You service (same day delivery service in Hamptons area) as well as in home appointments, bringing “a curated selection of styles to your home for a truly personal shopping experience”
American Eagle Outfitters, a brand linked to the mass market and present in almost every American mall, chose Hampton’s to introduce its newest brand called Unsubscribed (“consciously-made, slow fashion”) in a pop up format. The store is centrally located in East Hamptons amongst luxury bands and is an unusual step for the brand to choose a store in a neighborhood where residents live instead of a suburban mall. “From this experiment the company seems to be testing out the theory that the future of retail will have a lot in common with the past”, as a result of the pandemic. Source
Todd Snyder, a men’s only retail lifestyle brand opened its first Hampton’s pop up store this summer. The brand’s target market is the modern gentleman and it offers a wide range of clothing, accessories and grooming products.
As we are all well aware in Retail, a pop-up has always been a great way to test out a new market and a new concept. But for it to become a great source for replacing revenue or incremental revenue, is a testament to how the pandemic has not just accelerated the switch from wholesale to direct, but that brands have to adapt, and be agile to meet their consumers anyplace, anywhere, anytime.
We at XY are pleased to be part of this grand experiment by helping our brands launch a pop up store in a matter of 4 days. Click here to ask us how we can be of assistance.
