{"id":14471,"date":"2024-12-25T20:31:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T20:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/calpak-embarks-on-a-new-retail-adventure-physical-stores\/"},"modified":"2024-12-25T20:31:55","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T20:31:55","slug":"calpak-embarks-on-a-new-retail-adventure-physical-stores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/calpak-embarks-on-a-new-retail-adventure-physical-stores\/","title":{"rendered":"Calpak Embarks on a New Retail Adventure: Physical Stores"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When Edward and Judy Kwon founded Calpak<\/strong> 35 <\/strong>years ago, they modernized the luggage and travel goods sector by investing in innovative design and marketing. Over the past seven<\/strong> years, the brand\u2019s VP of Marketing, Jeannie Shin, has witnessed and supported this evolution, especially as the brand built its direct-to-consumer (DTC) business online.<\/p>\n

But as many brands have learned, the major growth unlock for Calpak\u2019s next phase was physical retail<\/strong> \u2014 especially given the highly visual and tactile nature of its category. That\u2019s why the brand has opened its first permanent store at Westfield Century City Mall in Los Angeles, which is not only an epicenter for Calpak\u2019s core customer base, but also for the business itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cLos Angeles is the home of our main demo \u2014 we have about one million<\/strong> active users\u201d in the area, Shin said in an interview with Retail TouchPoints<\/em>. \u201cWe wanted to focus on driving extra lifetime value and increasing brand awareness in our top city. Success is looking [at those metrics] within a specific mile radius from our store. We\u2019re expecting a lot of locals and customers familiar with our brand who are coming to the store for last-minute travel needs or for any products in our expanded categories.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Windows of Opportunity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The 1,200-square-foot<\/strong> store features Calpak\u2019s diverse product range \u2014 everything from luggage to baby bags and lunch bags. Given the diverse use cases for these products, the store hinges on one big idea: celebrating both everyday and faraway adventures.<\/p>\n

The brand worked with design and architecture firm Gensler<\/strong> to bring this concept to life by creating various visual windows or pathways throughout the store. \u201cThese are windows into different spaces, windows of opportunity and windows of your life,\u201d Shin said. \u201cThere\u2019s a front window display, but behind that there is a wall with another window that peeks into the store. And then when you walk into the front of the store, there are all these different areas of products \u2014 different windows of different stages of your life, or moments of your life that you\u2019re entering.\u201d<\/strong> The final window, which leads to the luggage area, emulates the feeling of being in the air, almost like shoppers are looking out of an airplane window.<\/p>\n

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Photo credit: <\/strong>Calpak<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The store also has distinct spaces where shoppers can touch, feel and test products. For example, there are two<\/strong> packing stations that feature Calpak\u2019s various luggage sizes and organizational offerings, so customers can see how much they can pack in a single bag. Additionally, the back wall of the store was designed to showcase Calpak\u2019s broader luggage range, including multiple styles and colors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like to say if you\u2019re entering a new journey, whether it\u2019s starting a new job, going on a trip or having kids, start with Calpak,\u201d Shin said. \u201cThese are the moments where we hope customers stop by to buy all the items they need to keep them organized for all the journeys ahead of them. Being able to feel and touch the products in person drives a much larger opportunity.\u201d
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Westfield Century City is centrally located in Los Angeles, making it a retail Mecca of sorts for locals and tourists alike. That\u2019s why during its two<\/strong>-week soft launch, Calpak found that not only did it need more luggage options available for purchase in the store; it also needed to have a diverse range of backpacks and duffle bags for local commuters. The soft launch also helped the team identify the final signage tweaks needed to ensure both brand fans and net-new customers felt empowered to navigate the store effectively.<\/p>\n

Closing the Online Discovery Gap<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Calpak has seen consistent growth online, but the \u201cfocused and funneled\u201d nature of the online shopping experience meant many customers missed discovering the brand\u2019s diverse product set. Of course, this also meant Calpak missed significant cross-selling and upselling opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are so focused in the funnel that they\u2019re in,\u201d Shin said. \u201cIf it\u2019s travel, I view Calpak as a travel brand, so I\u2019m just on the site for packing cubes and suitcases. You want to show them the breadth of products for all these other moments and milestones in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

And although Shin and the broader marketing and creative team have created content and messaging to bridge the education gap online, there are some characteristics that are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to explain online. \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to understand how durable something is and how an item feels<\/em>,\u201d Shin said. \u201cWe have tried a lot of different ways to create that experience online. We had a tool that allowed you to enter your height so you could see the size of the luggage next to you. But the reality is that actually lifting the luggage, touching and feeling how durable it is, pulling the trolley up and down \u2014 these are things you simply can\u2019t mimic online, no matter how hard you try.\u201d<\/p>\n

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