Millennial line Eva NYC is expanding its reach with an unexpected new customer base — moms.
Following a successful test with Costco in the U.S., the Brooklyn-based mass hair-care brand known for its colorful, whimsical aesthetic and affordable, hot tools will enter all of the retailer’s 508 doors.
The early 2017 test was fueled by Eva NYC’s aggressive influencer strategy targeting “mommy bloggers,” said Lindsey Edelman, director of sales and brand strategy at Eva NYC. The brand sent product out to “thousands” of influencers it targeted for the Costco test, in hopes they would like the product and post about it. Eighty two — with a total reach of 4.4 million followers — ended up posting about the product. “Within the first three weeks of the test, corporate called up and said, ‘What are you doing for marketing on your end? Because we have regional managers from all over the country asking why they don’t stock Eva NYC.’”
Related Galleries
You May Also Like
“If you’d asked me a year ago, I wasn’t certain the products and packaging would connect [with older customers],” Edelman said. “It’s bright pink, it’s fun and it’s not heavy mass.” But the success of the influencer partnerships has changed her mind. “[There’s a need] for innovative indie beauty products amongst 40- and 50-year-old women.”
The Costco shopper, said Edelman, also has extra income to spend. “They are looking for premium, innovative products at a value,” she added.
Launching in Costco stores today are the one-liter Clean It Up Shampoo and Soften Up Conditioner, which will retail for $9.99 each — a promo for $2 off is running from March 23 to April 17. An extended assortment will be available online at costco.com, including the Hold Me Tight Hairspray and one of the line’s hero products — Therapy Session Hair Mask.
All of Eva NYC’s products are formulated with Keravis, a proprietary protein complex designed to strengthen hair, as well as natural ingredients such as argan oil. The formula, Edelman said, ties in with the brand’s messaging, centered on strong, independent women.
Eva NYC is sold in Ulta Beauty, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Forever 21, as well as Costco in Canada, but it is expanding its reach in April with a launch CVS, reaching 900 doors by October.
The brand will also launch three new products this year, including a 10-in-1 primer and towelettes infused with hair serum.
Edelman and Eva NYC declined to discuss financials, but according to industry sources, the brand is small but growing rapidly. One source indicated the brand’s retail sales are somewhere between $15 million to $20 million annually, but are on track to triple by the end of 2017.