Signals & Stats : Daily Signals

Rent-a-shelf retail

By Rhiannon McGregor 07 : 03 : 2017 Bulletin : Streamlined Shopping : New York

US – Bulletin has opened a new bricks-and-mortar store in SoHo that enables brands to rent out a specific section of the shop floor.

Bulletin streamlines the process of getting a product onto the shop floor
Applications are made online and Bulletin checks that a seller’s product fits with the store’s aesthetic

Bulletin, New York

Bulletin offers small-scale manufacturers the opportunity to see their products in store within five days of applying. After completing the pitch process online, producers ship their products to the store and they are then installed on the shop floor. The brand, which plans to open stores in Los Angeles and Portland, gives applicants the option of selling their products in all three locations in order to test new audiences and build brand awareness.

For brands starting out, renting a whole store is a risky financial investment and although shops often accept pitches to expand their inventory, this process is traditionally a convoluted one and demands a bigger commitment from the seller than simply paying a monthly fee.

Those using Bulletin’s service can monitor their sales through the brand’s seller dashboard, which provides real-time sales data, product management and inventory management. Users are charged a monthly fee, offering a flexible option for new sellers with limited finances.

The Big Picture

By applying the online marketplace approach to bricks-and-mortar retail, Bulletin offers sellers the speed of online retail while allowing them to show the quality of their products. For more on physical retail brands finding inspiration in the digital world, see our Streamlined Shopping microtrend.