These days, every company — from military software firms to coffee chains — wants to be a lifestyle brand.
Driving the news: Tim Hortons is launching a pop-up store at Toronto’s Eaton Centre that will sell branded T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, pet toys, and pretty much anything else it can slap a Timmies logo on. The weeks-long pop-up will be a test for a potential permanent brick-and-mortar location.
- Tims is no stranger to the apparel biz. It already has an online shop, and the mini bags from its Justin Bieber collab in 2021 quickly listed for thousands on the resale market.
Why it’s happening: Branded gear is a great way to turn customers into walking billboards. From Swiss Chalet’s vintage-inspired totes to Jollibee’s dog accessories, merch has become a marketing fixture for companies across a growing number of industries.
- Even Palantir, the American defence tech company, has restarted selling T-shirts and tote bags.
- A Panera Bread handbag designed to carry its baguette-shaped sandwiches gained a cult following online and resold for over US$200.
Why it matters: For Tims, this is less about selling $50 sweaters and more about creating buzz. Merch drops have a knack for building brand loyalty among chronically online Gen Z customers, who are set to become the largest and most powerful consumer generation in history.
Zoom out: The coffee chain’s biggest shareholder is a Brazilian private equity firm, but it still leans heavily into its Canadian roots in its marketing. Getting the next generation of shoppers to wear the Tims logo on their hats and hoodies is certainly one way to cement the Canadian cachet of the brand.—LA