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For Tita Loyek, known by her online alias “Sample Sale Bestie,” it all started with a group text.
Loek was waiting in line for a sample sale for Los Angeles-based women’s clothing brand Cult Gaia in New York City in June 2023, when she picked up the brand’s metallic bags and fringed dresses for less. I made friends with a few like-minded shoppers who were looking to get in. But their newfound friendship endured. Loeck started a group chat with sample sale participants and posted it on TikTok. Her followers wanted to participate, and to meet her growing interest, the chat moved to her Instagram and her Whatsapp, and eventually she landed on Slack.
We currently have 400 members across the United States who regularly update each other about specific sales and, of course, what they end up buying. Loyek’s TikTok has also grown, and he now has nearly 190,000 followers, and he wants to start spotlighting sales in Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles.
Sample sales have long been a ritual for fashion insiders and well-dressed residents of cities like New York and Los Angeles. This craze moved online from his August to his 2010s, with blogs like Racked sharing details of upcoming dates and what’s to come. But in 2023, he said, TikTok expanded the online conversation around sample sales, transforming it from a niche discussion into a viral sensation. Last fall, sample sales from popular brands like Khaite and The Row received a lot of attention online as influencers shared their experiences (and product introductions) on TikTok. The hashtag #therowsamplesalenyc got him over 745,000 views on the app, and #khaitesamplesale got him over 695,000 views.
As sample sales grow in popularity online, so too does their power as a marketing tool for your brand. The growing popularity of sample sales has raised expectations, which could lead to a backlash if the “sample sale” doesn’t have products to back up its name, and more importantly, discounts. Macage’s December 2023 sale was a bit of a disappointment online as some prices were just 40% off retail prices.
That’s why crowdsourcing online information from influencers and fellow shoppers plays a central role in determining whether a sale is worth participating in. To meet this growing interest, brands are partnering with influencers to generate hype and create unique shopping experiences to build deeper brand loyalty.
“Sample sales have always been very strict, but with the advent of social media, that’s not the case anymore. They want to know if it’s worth it,” creator Gabriela Mannix said. She is a former fashion publicist who now shares fashion recommendations, including sample sale tips, on her TikTok account @. Still intrabeca.
No gatekeeping
On TikTok, “gatekeeping” or keeping information secret is outdated, and followers are heavily invested in what they can learn from influencers’ sample sale shopping experiences. That is, what types of items are included, whether a particular product is based on a wise investment, etc. Regarding materials and construction, and the range of available sizes.
“People want to know why you bought something and the story behind it. They want to know the whole process, from standing in line to what it’s like inside the store. ,” said New York-based influencer Lily Sisto.
Influencers will also react accordingly. After attending a preview day of The Row’s sample sale this fall, Mannix not only looked at what he bought, but also how long he waited in line, how many items were discounted (and how much of that discount compared to the previous year). He also talked about the product lineup, etc. whether she was available (for example, she noted that her handbag was already gone by the time she entered) and whether she felt it was worth the effort for her followers.
“There is an educational aspect to gaining ‘insider knowledge,’” she said. “My audience is women who love fashion and want to know what to invest in.”
Some brands invite creators and editors to preview a sale before it’s released to the public. For example, in Beyond the Law, Mannix attended Manolo Blahnik’s fall sale preview day, and Sisto was invited to join Proenza Schouler.
Sample sale organizers, such as 260 Sample Sale, also share credits with creators that can be used for invitations and purchases. Some brands offer similar perks. Known for her feather-embellished creations, Lapointe will be giving away her VIP invitations to her sale and her followers to create even more excitement for the event. Plus 1 contacted her Loyek for her ticket.
Experiential sales
Brands are also trying to make the sale itself more appealing for reasons other than product discounts, which have historically been synonymous with overstocked clothing racks, makeshift changing rooms, and long lines. , is making use of influencers.
For example, Roiec has partnered directly with Piazza Italia, an accelerator program that helps Italian brands grow their presence in North America, to create follower-only events that feel like shopping parties, complete with mocktails and Italian hors d’oeuvres. We held a sample sale. Artwork and gift bags for participants. For Loyek, this was an opportunity to engage with his community online outside of social media, generating his $40,000 in sales for the brand.
“They had a lot of fun, got great deals, and loved meeting and interacting in person,” she said.
Similarly, Downtown New York-based Alphago’s Marketplace operates a rotating schedule of sample sales for men’s clothing brands like Todd Snyder and J. Press, but events are held more like parties than warehouse sales. will be done. At recent events he has appeared as a DJ and photographer.
The group has worked with a variety of brands and venues, including New York-based members club NeueHouse, to host the menswear community in a space where they can connect while discovering new brands. For example, Original Madras Trading Company, a men’s clothing brand, had previously focused on manufacturing materials for other brands, but in August 2023, it decided to take advantage of a sample sale with Alfargo to sell its own DTC. We brought our products to an attention-grabbing audience of men’s clothing consumers.
When the right venue and brand collaborate to host a sample sale, the benefits are multifaceted. Eclectic prep label Rowing Blazers also held a sample sale on Alphago’s Marketplace last June, allowing both brands to showcase each other’s communities.
“We were leveraging each other’s networks and bringing new faces and different styles to sales,” said Alphago founder Stephon Carson.
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