Dick’s Sporting Goods is testing the reach of its private label brands this summer with a pop-up in New York’s iconic Hamptons. The location, which opened May 14 and won’t close until Oct. 18, cycles through three iterations and highlights four of the company’s owned brands.
This is the first time Dick’s has done a rotating pop-up with its in-house brands, according to Aimee Watters, vice president of Vertical Brand Marketing at Dick’s.
“We are always looking here for ways to experiment and to showcase our in-house brands in new and exciting ways that gets us outside of that traditional big-box footprint,” Watters told Retail Dive in an interview. “So, going to the Hamptons this summer allows us to really experiment in that way and bring these brands to life in a very cool and exciting way that allows us to show their character a little bit more and their personality by having a store that's dedicated to them.”
The first iteration of the pop-up has already opened and focuses on the retailer’s golf-oriented Walter Hagen and Maxfli Golf brands.
Timed to coincide with the 126th U.S. Open Championship, which starts this week, the store will host relevant events until it closes on June 28. That includes ball customization by Maxfli, an upcoming podcast taping and a screening of golf comedy “Finnegan’s Foursome.” The location hosted a meet and greet with golf instructor Sean Foley earlier this month.
Select products from other Dick’s private labels will also make an appearance, from men’s brand VRST to women’s brand Calia.
The timing of all three iterations of the pop-up are intentional: The store will transition to a coastal offering from July 2 to Aug. 23, centered on swimwear and resortwear from the Calia brand, and will finish out with a back-to-school theme from Aug. 27 to Oct. 18 centered on the DSG family private label. Event programming for the latter two pop-ups will be rolled out closer to the time.
“For us the Hamptons was a no-brainer, because Hamptons in the summer is the place to be, and it brings a highly engaged community of both residents, but as well as an influx of visitors,” Watters said. “We believe that this shopper is looking for new experiences and new opportunities to learn about new brands and also shop some brands that you know and love.”
Asked if Dick’s plans to open permanent stand-alone stores for its private brands, Watters said the company is “always looking to learn and grow and try new experiences” and would see how the community responds to the format to inform its go-forward strategy. For the moment, the retailer’s main goal is to create a fun customer experience and integrate itself “really genuinely into the community.”
“We want to see how consumers engage with each of those brand chapters and that in-store experience for us,” Watters said. “That's really what we're looking for this summer.”
