Studs CEO Anna Harman discusses how DTC brands are strategically moving into physical retail to drive growth and enhance brand experience. The episode highlights the importance of combining online accessibility with engaging offline environments, using Studs as a case study for disrupting traditional markets like ear piercing and jewelry.
Key takeaways
DTC brands should consider strategic physical retail expansion, like shop-in-shops or kiosks, as a capital-efficient growth mechanism.
Elevate the in-store experience to differentiate from competitors; Studs focused on a premium, comfortable piercing environment versus sterile tattoo parlors or mall stores.
Focus on accessible pricing and engaging environments to appeal to a broader customer base, combining quality products with an enjoyable shopping experience.
Leverage insights from diverse professional backgrounds (e.g., hedge funds) to inform and strategize DTC business models and expansion.
Prioritize customer safety and health standards in experiential retail services (e.g., needle piercing over piercing guns) to build trust and brand reputation.
Studs co-founder and CEO Anna Harman recently got a second piercing in her ears. One place she looked at would have charged her $500. The other, which she went for, was a tattoo parlor.
"And while the piercing experience was great -- they pierce with a needle, it was healthy and safe -- the overall environment was really not suited to me. I felt really personally out of place there," Harman said on the Modern Retail Podcast.
She reached out to Lisa Bubbers, who would go on to co-found Studs -- a store that pierces your ears and sells you jewelry as well -- with her last year. "I said to Lisa 'wow, it feels like there's a real opportunity here to reinvent this experience end-to-end,'" Harman recalled. "We really thought the opportunity was to combine healthy and safe needle piercing with really accessibly-priced, fun jewelry in an environment that the customer was excited to spend time in."
Studs has a flagship store in Soho and is taking advantage of trends in the world of brick-and-mortar. "How do you physically expand in a way that's not incredibly capital intensive?" Harman said. "You will likely see Studs do things like shop-in-shops and kiosks."
Harman joined the Modern Retail Podcast to discuss the dreaded piercing gun, and what she's learning from both the direct-to-consumer zeitgeist and her time at a hedge fund.
DTC brands should consider strategic physical retail expansion, like shop-in-shops or kiosks, as a capital-efficient growth mechanism.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Elevate the in-store experience to differentiate from competitors; Studs focused on a premium, comfortable piercing environment versus sterile tattoo parlors or mall stores.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Focus on accessible pricing and engaging environments to appeal to a broader customer base, combining quality products with an enjoyable shopping experience.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Leverage insights from diverse professional backgrounds (e.g., hedge funds) to inform and strategize DTC business models and expansion.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Prioritize customer safety and health standards in experiential retail services (e.g., needle piercing over piercing guns) to build trust and brand reputation.
