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The App Store now stocks one-third of the Silicon Valley uniform: Allbirds launched its first standalone shopping app yesterday.
The company's new nest will look familiar to sneakerheads.Allbirds’s app will host exclusive product drops and virtual try-on features, along with an option to select where carbon offsets from purchases are applied.
Zoom out: Drops on larger retailers’ sneaker apps (like Nike or Goat) put the hype in hyperbole. Exclusive, limited edition footwear styles can disappear in seconds.
Allbirds has released a designer collab here and there, but it’s better known for comfort than streetwear cred. Plus, Allbirds already has its website and Shopify’s Shop app. So why go it alone?
- Third party platforms can only do so much. “Shopify continues to be a very important partner, but as a vertical retailer, we understand the importance of providing unique, brand-aligned experiences for our customers,” an Allbirds rep told Retail Brew.
- As e-commerce grows in popularity, an Allbirds app could complement what shoppers used to find in its stores.
My prediction: App users get a first look at Allbirds’s ongoing project with Adidas...and more ambitious exclusives than new colorways.