The online mattress brand is now no stranger to physical retail; it has over 50 stores worldwide, hosted a glamping trip during the last total solar eclipse, and even set up a pay as you go nap hotel in New York called the Dreamery.
IRL will never die
The internet gives brands unparalleled freedom, but nothing beats the in person experience.
The popular language learning app runs a Taqueria called Duo’s in Pittsburgh. It’s a great tool for building recognition, bringing in new customers, and fulfilling its main mission of improving language skills: customers can try the “Español Challenge” to get a discount on their order. It accounts for ~$1M of the ~$625M in revenue they make each year.
The brand was born online, but Gymshark is now heavily investing in physical marketing; recently opening its flagship store on Regent Street in London, and routinely hosting live events where hundreds of fans exercise together.
Lego (temporarily) turned their Battersea Power Station store into a florist – a brilliant way of bringing the brand to life.
People aren’t hungry for more virtual connections, they want more real connections.
Nespresso entered the coffee-to-go market in 2024, opening its first cafe near Liverpool Street station – as the busiest train station in England, it’s not a bad place to attract new customers.
Once a poster child for the DTC model, the glasses brand now generates 2/3 of its revenue from physical stores.