Camp entertains children and adults alike at its flagship store. Now this experiential retail concept is opening outposts beyond its New York City hometown.
The 10,000-square-foot Camp flagship in New York City’s Flatiron District blends shopping and play, displaying a fresh theme every eight to 12 weeks.
The “canteen” stocks apparel, toys, books, gifts and similar merchandise, while the “magic door” leads to the concept's experiential side: crafts, sports, dance and live theater.
The retailer has backing from BuzzFeed, among other investors. “We intend to open a lot of these,” Ben Kaufman, BuzzFeed's chief marketing officer, who came up with the idea for Camp, told WWD. “The new units will be the same size. We hope we can build a big [chain]. The market for family experiences is pretty thin right now, and we’re filling a big void. There are babies being born all over the world, and families [are] looking for places to go.”
Camp has agreed to open two more sites in New York City: one at the Hudson Yards development, in Manhattan, and the other in the borough of Brooklyn. Additional units are in the planning for The Hill, in Dallas; and The SoNo Collection, in South Norwalk, Conn.
By Brannon Boswell
Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today
