Chubbies is a small business and independent retailer. Its four founders own and operate a few small stores in the Bay Area, California but generate most of their revenue from online sales. Seeing as Chubbies does not have a physical store location I decided to visit a rival store brand 'Hollister' on Broadway. Upon entering the store I noticed immediately its dimly lit and fragrant atmosphere. It created a warm sense of being at the beach feeling with its videos of the ocean playing on the wall, acoustic music, beach board shutters and palm tree plants everywhere. Most clothes were folded neatly on vintage wooden tables and to create a more casual vibe the shirts and other garments where hung up in closet looking spaces that were lit with individual overhead lights along the walls. The stores layout was divided down the middle with men's clothing on one side and women's clothing all on the other side to channel traffic smoothly to either sides of the store. Their newest seasonal clothing were sorted neatly and placed in the front and displayed on mannequins and their older winter clothing were tossed in clearance in bins unsorted towards the back of the store. Employees were scattered throughout the store, most of whom were folding clothes while speaking and greeting customers. Very few were standing with nothing to do. After speaking to employees they said that their dress code must consist of Hollister clothing and must be blue, white and beige. I inquired about the overall scent and they said that throughout the day they have a specific fragrance that they spray on all of their clothing so that when customers pick up clothing they smell the subtle fragrance and it urges them to buy not only the clothing but one of Hollister's fragrances to compliment the clothing. Their prices where above those of a normal retail and their newer clothing was most expensive than most of Chubbies mostly due to its 'trendy' well known name brand status but Hollister still able to be affordable to most with a small income. Hollister is a much bigger, older and more established brand than Chubbies and suggests a similar 'laid back' theme like Chubbies but the most noticeable difference between the brands would be that of the way Chubbies and Hollister go about promoting their products. The Hollister store follows a much more elaborate and better designed layout but at the same time carries a prestigious atmosphere where as Chubbies retail store, although I have not been to it, has a very simple and formal store front.
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| Chubbies Store |
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| Hollister Store |
Shorts are available anywhere from bargain department stores to high end designer brands so what makes Chubbies consumers choose Chubbies? In Chubbies philosophy their aim is clear and it is to never produce pants as well as to stick to the style of short well fitted shorts. One of the largest deciding factors in Chubbies consumers is that they know what they will be getting every single time. There are few styles and variations of Chubbies shorts and the consistency is one of Chubbies biggest attractions. The most variety is in the patterns on the shorts themselves. The need recognition for shorts occurs in most all of us when the weather gets warmer and we have either the want or need for a new pair of shorts. Those who already own a pair of Chubbies have the prior internal information and know what they want and can expect from Chubbies and prefer to stick with the style and attitude Chubbies is known for and those that have yet to purchase Chubbies will with out a doubt be recommended to purchase a pair from another owner in their social circle. To combat the evoked set of alternatives to Chubbies shorts Chubbies sets a standard average price for all shorts and makes sure that consumers shop with the comfort knowing exactly what they are going to get. Chubbies also makes it a point to add new styles to their collections but do so exclusively to create the urge to buy as soon as they are release.
Since Chubbies shorts hit the market in 2011 they have expanded from the Bay Area in California to millions of consumers across the country in just a few short years. Chubbies being such a new company is just now beginning to plan the opening of a new stores across the country but has not yet develpoed plans for a global presence. Chubbies does have small international attention from countries such as the UK and Australia being their strongest customer base overseas. The word of Chubbies is spread internationally by its customers who travel and study abroad creating a small yet free way of promoting Chubbies brand. Chubbies does however offer free first class ship internationally!