Bumble Launches First Store and Branded Apparel
Contributed by: kellyseal on Wednesday, December 22 2021 @ 08:28 am
Last modified on Wednesday, December 22 2021 @ 08:35 am
Bumble is moving into the online retail business by opening its first store and selling Bumble-branded apparel.
The Bumble Shop will offer a collection of t-shirts, hats, sweaters, accessories and games, according to WWD[*1] , and will be available for purchase at shop.Bumble.com. Featured items will include a varsity sweater, a bucket hat with the company’s tagline of “make the first move” in the lining, pronoun keychains, and a Question Game card game to help people connect by moving past small talk and into deeper conversations.
The Bumble Shop partnered with retro California lifestyle brand Aviator Nation to offer custom limited edition items as well, including the Ninja Hoodie, Ninja sweatpants, and Classic Truck Hat. These will be co-branded and available for purchase on the new site. Bumble plans to offer new collections quarterly, and Aviator Nation is its first clothing partner. Multiple sizes are available as well, ranging from XS to 4XL.
Prices for the launch range from $15 to $90, though Aviator Nation products come at a premium with items priced as high as $150 for sweatpants and $200 for a pullover hoodie. The company teased that its platform is “not just for dating anymore” and announced the opening of the store in an Instagram post on December 6th, noting that matching Bumble outfits are the perfect holiday gift.
Bumble launched its IPO in February this year, and more recently, the stock took a tumble after lower-than-expected third quarter revenue reports. However, J.P. Morgan upgraded the stock, noting that Bumble is on track to continue to grow, and the stock ticked back up. With the clothing store, Bumble is expanding its revenue streams beyond subscriptions and services which interests investors, along with the recent announcement that it will be delving into the metaverse and testing out virtual experiences on its app.
The company said the idea came from merchandise made for staff, brand ambassadors, and attendees of its events, which it has been doing since 2014. Selby Drummond, Bumble’s chief brand officer, said in a statement, “before we knew it, people were asking where they could purchase our items — from pens to T-shirts, and everything in between. We’re excited to give our community an opportunity to engage and connect with us even further through the launch of our Bumble Shop.”
Bumble doesn’t intend to stop with clothing for The Bumble Store. Drummond also tells WWD that it will become a full online retail space where people can purchase a range of items in addition to clothing, including “date night kits, custom houseware items, and more.”
The Bumble Store is a collaboration with marketing production house Juice Marketing. For more on this dating service, you can read our Bumble review.