Macy's is acting like popular streetwear brand Supreme as it tries to solve one of its biggest problems
- Macy's is taking lessons from the popular streetwear brand Supreme and doing weekly "drops" of its new limited-edition watches.
- These so-called "Watch Drops" kicked off in September and will be rolled out each week until November 21.
- Fashion drops are not only a good way to build hype around new items, but given that there is usually a limited amount of inventory available, they also help to create exclusivity around the brand.
Macy's is taking lessons from Supreme in the art of building hype around new products.
This fall, the retailer is doing 11 weekly "drops" of a selection of luxury and limited-edition watches from brands such as Tag Heuer, Seiko, and Tissot. These so-called "Watch Drops" kicked off in September and will be rolled out each week until November 21.
In an interview with What Women Wear, Macy's executive vice president Stephen Moore said that the store is expecting this new collection to sell out quickly. Between one and four styles of watches will be dropped each week, and there are only 15 available in each style, according to WWD.
The first two watches launched on September 5. They were a limited-edition Tissot costing $675 and a $2,325 Longines watch that was based on a model produced for the British army during the 1950s. Both watches have yet to sell out online.
Fashion drops are not only a way to build hype around new items. Having a limited amount of stock that is more likely to sell out quickly helps to create exclusivity around a brand.
The lack of exclusivity has been one of Macy's biggest downfalls in recent years. As consumer habits have changed and more customers are shopping online, the retailer has found itself left with large amounts of unsold inventory that it is forced to markdown in order to shift.
As a result, discount signs have become a mainstay at Macy's over the past few years, leading to many brands, including Ralph Lauren, Coach, and Michael Kors, to pull back their products out of a fear that discounting is also damaging their own brand image.
Supreme is one of the leaders in this space. Its launches, which occur weekly throughout the year in-store and online, have become some of the most anticipated events of the year for its followers - so much so, that fans now have to register in advance.