An innovative start-up that rents its store shelves to emerging brands is expanding its brick-and-mortar presence in the Big Apple.
Bulletin, the digital magazine-turned-omnichannel retailer, is opening a flagship store in New York City’s Union Square region. The store, which will open in early June, is located in New York's historic Ladies' Mile District. (In the 19th century, Ladies' Mile served as an upscale retail hub where women could shop without male counterparts for the first time.)
The location, which is the company’s third store in New York City, will feature products from more than 60 female-led brands. Including this location, all three stores and its e-commerce site will offer merchandise across approximately 150 brands, most of which are women-owned small businesses.
Based on Bulletin’s retail membership model, brands pay a low fee to sell in-store, giving them an exponentially higher commission on product sales. This benefits brands that have traditionally sold online, but lacked access to physical retail exposure, according to the company.
Bulletin also organizes activations and programming around progressive issues, and works with charitable partners like Planned Parenthood, Dress for Success, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
"The Union Square flagship is a huge milestone for Bulletin and the future of retail,” said co-founders Ali Kriegsman and Alana Branston.
"We are building a brand that reimagines what physical retail looks like in the 21st century, given the rise of platforms like Amazon and Instagram," they added. “Our customers are still eager to shop in a physical storefront. But they demand a store experience that's mission-driven, thoughtful, and reactive."