Bumble rolls out new online shop and product line featuring $200 hoodie
Popular dating and networking app Bumble has launched its online shop, which features everything from branded playing cards and keychains emblazoned with pronouns to a $200 hoodie created by California-based apparel brand Aviator Nation. The move represents the app’s first foray into retail and commerce.
Bumble is buzzing over its e-commerce debut
With e-commerce on track to secure 15.3% of total retail sales in 2021, Bumble isn’t about to get left behind. The popular dating app today opened the new Bumble Shop, an online storefront for branded apparel, accessories, games and more.
“When Bumble was founded in 2014, we originally created our merchandise for the Bumble staff, brand ambassadors and those who attended our events,” said Selby Drummond, Bumble’s chief brand officer, in a statement today. “However, 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.”
As part of the release, Bumble has rolled out a core collection called Bumble Basics. Some staples include a varsity sweater emblazoned with an all-caps ‘Bumble,’ a corduroy bucket hat with an inner lining featuring the brand’s tagline ‘Make the First Move,’ and the Question Game Card Game, an IRL version of Bumble’s in-app Question Game to help daters make deeper connections by getting to know one another better.
The brand also teamed up with 1970s-inspired casual clothing brand Aviator Nation on another line made available in Bumble Shop today. This collection includes higher-end loungewear items featuring Aviator Nation’s signature stripe motif in a gold, brown and cream palette reminiscent of Bumble’s chipper yellow-and-white color scheme. The Aviator Nation line includes a hoodie that retails for $200 and a pair of matching sweatpants that ring up at a cool $150.
In line with Bumble’s ethos of inclusivity, apparel in the Bumble Shop is available in sizes ranging from XS to 4XL. The brand will offer select international shipping options.
In today’s statement, Drummond noted that although the brand is initially focused on apparel and accessories, it has plans to expand its product lines. “... [We] envision Bumble Shop will eventually become a space where people can purchase everything from date night kits, custom houseware items and more,” she said.
The decision to invest in e-commerce is a wise one on Bumble’s part, says Robert Passikoff, founder and president of market research and strategy firm Brand Keys. “It’s a smart, 21st-century approach to taking a brand and turning it into an alternative income stream,” he tells The Drum. “If [Bumble is] smart about this, not only will they offer up products, but do some of them on an exclusive, limited basis. These days it’s much more than what your brand is known for – it’s what your brand could be known for, and that’s what Bumble seems to be doing. There’s very little downside and only an upside to extending the brand in this way.”
By diversifying its offerings (it has already invested in doing so with the notable expansion into networking and social media with Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF), the company is opening up new revenue streams. Bumble Shop is likely to help accelerate already-impressive bottom-line growth for the company; its third-quarter earnings indicate that total revenue jumped 24% year-on-year. Last month, the company’s chief financial officer Anu Subramanian said the company was well-positioned to continue its growth in Q4 and plans to invest more deeply in product development and marketing.