Halara, a direct-to-consumer activewear brand, debuts its first physical store in a pop-up format

Let's Talk Halara's New Adventure!

Halara, a direct-to-consumer activewear brand, debuts its first physical store in a pop-up format

The Dirt:

• Online only until now, Halara, the fast-fashion athleisure brand, is dipping its toes into offline retail with its pop-up store on Broadway, NYC.
• The 3,500-square-foot store, their first step towards a series of test stores, might find homes in cities like Texas, California, Florida, as well as international hotspots like Europe, Japan, and Korea.

The Deets:

• Halara made New York their first pop-up location, testing the physical retail waters. Expected permanent stores are in the works within the next three years.
• Gabby Hirata, Brand President, explained that NYC was the ideal starting point to gather customer feedback before venturing further. The shop is operational from Friday through Sunday, with the possibility of extended hours based on demand.

Behind the Scenes:

• Halara, founded during the pandemic by Microsoft vet Joyce Zhang, employs machine learning and consumer feedback in its design and production process. The brand has grown primarily through social media and direct-to-consumer channels.
• Posting about the NY pop-up experience on social media grants customers special goodies.

Experiment Time:

• Halara is using the New York store as a test case for optimal pop-up duration. While a week has been the standard so far, the brand wants to maximize cost-effectiveness for expensive real estate locations.
• The pop-up campaign on TikTok, #ConfidentlyHalara, attracted an impressive 103 user-generated content participants, with a combined 13.58 million views and impressions.

New and Improved:

• Halara's operating model revolves around newness, using an algorithm to optimize the Asian factories they partner with. Despite shipping times of up to 2 weeks, the brand believes in prioritizing the future of our planet over speed.

Pushing the Envelope:

• The athleisure market has seen numerous established and startup brands thrive lately, including the buzz around DTC activewear brands and young-leaning brands like On, Hoka, Alo Yoga, and Vuori. As traditional industry giants like Nike take a hit, it's clear that the future of athletic wear lies in the hands of these innovative newcomers.

1. Halara, a fast-fashion athleisure brand that was founded during the pandemic, is experimenting with offline retail by opening a pop-up store on Broadway, NYC.
2. The brand's first step towards a series of test stores might find homes in cities like Texas, California, Florida, as well as international hotspots like Europe, Japan, and Korea.
3. Halara made New York their first pop-up location to test the physical retail waters, with expected permanent stores in the works within the next three years.
4. The brand leverages machine learning and consumer feedback in its design and production process, primarily growing through social media and direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels.
5. Posting about the NY pop-up experience on social media grants customers special goodies, as the brand uses the store as a test case for optimal pop-up duration.
6. The pop-up campaign on TikTok, #ConfidentlyHalara, attracted an impressive 103 user-generated content participants, with a combined 13.58 million views and impressions.
7. Halara's operating model revolves around newness, using an algorithm to optimize Asian factories they partner with, while prioritizing the future of our planet over speed, despite shipping times of up to 2 weeks.

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