Lifestyle retailer hits the road — in a container

Online and catalog retailer Garnet Hill is taking a curated collection of its aspirationally styled home and apparel goods on the road with a mobile pop-up boutique.



The experience, created from a converted shipping container, resembles a natural home environment – except that it's shop-able. The mobile pop-up will launch at Garnet Hill headquarters in Franconia, New Hampshire, moving south through New Hampshire, and completing its summer tour in New York City.



The boutique will showcase product favorites from the brand's 40-year history, and provide a platform for events ranging from wine tastings to art exhibits. It’s part of the company’s strategy to establish retail experiences that complement its direct marketing operations.



"The need for a tactile experience, and consumer desire for unique shopping experiences, are the driving force behind this mobile boutique,” said Claire Spofford, president of Garnet Hill, which is part of the HSNi portfolio of lifestyle brands. "The boutique will serve as a multi-use space representative of the natural home environment, with an emphasis on Garnet Hill product integration.”



Spofford said the mobile pop-up represents a “creative twist” on retail.



"It's surprising and retail-focused, but also a wonderfully non-traditional branding platform that gets Garnet Hill out into the world where we can listen to our customer and connect in her own backyard,” she said.



The 880-sq.-ft. shipping container was designed by ModEco founder and HGTV Container Home personality Drake Boroja.



"We're always excited to showcase the versatility and ease of shipping containers," said Boroja. "The Garnet Hill mobile boutique will allow consumers to interact with the brand in a truly unique and tangible way."



The shipping container will also serve as a marketing engine for Garnet Hill, providing a platform for media relations, partnerships, digital amplification, events, insights, consumer engagement and sales.