9A- Testing the Hypothesis pt 2
My opportunity is again a women's fitness apparel store that carries a variety of popular online fitness brands, all made easily available in one store.
Interview 1: The first person I decided to interview was a guy. He too preferred to buy his clothes in person, and often struggled with getting the correct fit when ordering online. He typically shopped for two brands when looking for gym clothes, Nike and Alphalete. He also felt like there was a lack of stores carrying men's fitness apparel, and expressed a need for one, especially if it were to carry brands like Alphalete and GymShark, that he could only find online. He expressed that he would be more inclined to buying these clothes in person if a store was available as compared to online. He also expressed the same opinion if he were to be shopping for girls clothing as a gift or something, he would prefer a physical store instead of online.
Interview 2: The second person I interviewed was a girl who does not work out and typically doesn't have a need for gym clothes. This girl does a majority of her clothing shopping online, and often struggles to find the exact styles she's looking for in person. A physical store that carried all of her favorite online brands did appeal to her, and she said she would prefer to shop in person, she just tends to find more of what she likes online. However, she does not struggle in this way with fitness apparel. It is not something she buys often, and when she does, she typically can easily pick something online or in stores as she's not picky about what she wants.
Interview 3: I also interviewed an older woman. By interviewing her I found out that this concept does appeal to her, as she likes to wear activewear as her normal day to day clothing. However, a large part of this concept is the appeal of getting an online brand in person, and also making fitness apparel for women more easily available, and she didn't feel as though this applied to her. She did not know about the online brands mentioned, so didn't have a need for a physical store carrying them. She also didn't really struggle with finding the clothing she was looking for in person because she wasn't looking for any specific brands.
Interview 4: The fourth person I interviewed was another girl from the gym, however I made sure it was someone I didn't see wearing the online brands I had in mind for this business. When I asked her about the brands, she hadn't really heard of them. She typically didn't shop online for clothes, as she found it difficult to figure out her size. When I asked where she goes for her fitness apparel, and she said TJ Maxx or Marshals. I asked if she felt like there was a need for a store that catered to women's fitness apparel, and she said for her personally no. She enjoyed getting her clothing from these places because it offered nice quality brands, at more affordable prices than their stores offered. She also felt like these stores constantly had new items and a wide variety of clothing. She also felt like they had all different aspects of fitness apparel- shoes, clothing, accessories, and even some equipment.
Interview 5: The last person I spoke to was someone who bought something similar, but not quite like these brands. This woman bought a lot of a brand called LuLaRoe. This company makes a lot of unique leggings, however, they are not traditionally made as activewear. She bought majority of her products online but did have friends that did little pop-up shops that allowed her to shop at a physical location as well. Though she had a need for wanting to shop for unique leggings in person, a store dedicated to activewear didn't satisfy that need for her. She was content with shopping online or was often able to find the styles she was looking for in person.
What: A similar need to this would be wanting a physical store that carries online brands. This, however, is different for this concept because this is that desire applied to gym wear, and not just regular clothing stores. It is also a different need for men than it is for women, and that is why the need here is for a store that focuses on women's items, and not both men and women. Another similar need would be wanting athleisure. While this store could satisfy that need, there are plenty of other options for someone with that desire and isn't unique to what this store provides.
Interview 1: The first person I decided to interview was a guy. He too preferred to buy his clothes in person, and often struggled with getting the correct fit when ordering online. He typically shopped for two brands when looking for gym clothes, Nike and Alphalete. He also felt like there was a lack of stores carrying men's fitness apparel, and expressed a need for one, especially if it were to carry brands like Alphalete and GymShark, that he could only find online. He expressed that he would be more inclined to buying these clothes in person if a store was available as compared to online. He also expressed the same opinion if he were to be shopping for girls clothing as a gift or something, he would prefer a physical store instead of online.
Interview 2: The second person I interviewed was a girl who does not work out and typically doesn't have a need for gym clothes. This girl does a majority of her clothing shopping online, and often struggles to find the exact styles she's looking for in person. A physical store that carried all of her favorite online brands did appeal to her, and she said she would prefer to shop in person, she just tends to find more of what she likes online. However, she does not struggle in this way with fitness apparel. It is not something she buys often, and when she does, she typically can easily pick something online or in stores as she's not picky about what she wants.
Interview 3: I also interviewed an older woman. By interviewing her I found out that this concept does appeal to her, as she likes to wear activewear as her normal day to day clothing. However, a large part of this concept is the appeal of getting an online brand in person, and also making fitness apparel for women more easily available, and she didn't feel as though this applied to her. She did not know about the online brands mentioned, so didn't have a need for a physical store carrying them. She also didn't really struggle with finding the clothing she was looking for in person because she wasn't looking for any specific brands.
Interview 5: The last person I spoke to was someone who bought something similar, but not quite like these brands. This woman bought a lot of a brand called LuLaRoe. This company makes a lot of unique leggings, however, they are not traditionally made as activewear. She bought majority of her products online but did have friends that did little pop-up shops that allowed her to shop at a physical location as well. Though she had a need for wanting to shop for unique leggings in person, a store dedicated to activewear didn't satisfy that need for her. She was content with shopping online or was often able to find the styles she was looking for in person.
Who: I would say the boundary for people this opportunity exists for is women, more active than not, or at least interested in fitness. Since this business appeals to the concept of buying from known online brands in person, the who also includes online shoppers interested in this. However, it is limited to those who want gym clothing. Men also have this issue, as majority of these online brands have men’s clothing as well, but because this store caters to women, they are not traditionally a part of the who (might be if they are shopping for someone else).
What: A similar need to this would be wanting a physical store that carries online brands. This, however, is different for this concept because this is that desire applied to gym wear, and not just regular clothing stores. It is also a different need for men than it is for women, and that is why the need here is for a store that focuses on women's items, and not both men and women. Another similar need would be wanting athleisure. While this store could satisfy that need, there are plenty of other options for someone with that desire and isn't unique to what this store provides.
Why: The basic differences between those in the boundary and those out of it are (1) whether or not they are women, and (2) whether or not are interested in fitness apparel. Another difference, especially when initially starting the business, might be whether or not they know about these online brands, and if they would prefer to shop in person. This may not apply to everyone, because some women may still be interested in athletic apparel, despite not having heard of some of the brands being carried.
Inside the Boundary
Who is In: women interested in fitness apparel, and possibly men wishing to purchase fitness apparel as a gift
What the Need Is: a physical store that carries a variety of unique women's fitness brands
Why the Need Exists: because a lot of the most popular fitness brands are sold online, and there are limited options for women to buy fitness apparel in person
Outside the Boundary
Who is Not: men and women who are not interested in fitness apparel, people who prefer online shopping, women who do not want to spend a more "luxury" price on fitness apparel, and those who want unique styles but not necessarily for activewear
What the Need is Not: it is not a physical store that carries any online brand
Alternative Explanations: People with similar needs, that still fall out of this boundary, can typically satisfy their needs with stores that already exists. While the people with the need for this business can do that, they would get more satisfaction from shopping at this store than trying to do so at other options.
Hi Maddi. It was actually pretty interesting reading about how much your interviewee's needs differed from one another. I think you had a really good variety of people who you decided to interview because some of them fell outside of your opportunity boundary. For example, the 4th person that you interviewed had a very good point when she said that she found her current sources of workout clothes sufficient enough for her. If she is satisfied with TJ Maxx and Marshals, there is truly no need for her to fit into your opportunity boundary. Since I personally would love to see a wider variety of options all in one location, I fit into your opportunity boundary a bit better.
ReplyDeleteHi Maddi,
ReplyDeleteI think it was a great idea for you to interview people who don't work out, to see if they would still be interested in this idea. I personally do not work out, but I love buying yoga pants and biker shorts because thats what everyone wears on the daily, to class, etc. I think a store like this would do great in Gainesville. I know the Lululemon pop-up shop is actually doing really well here and even extended how long they are staying due to popular demand.
Hey Maddi,
ReplyDeleteYour interview sample group was very diverse, and allowed for a wide range of answers from people who didn't experience the issue but should've. Someone like myself who doesn't work out often would typically not have a need for a product/site like this, but I know most of my friend groups would find something like this very convenient and useful! Having all brands and being able to even compare prices side-by-side would affect companies too and possibly drive prices down in attempt to gain a competitive advantage, which is beneficial to customers too!