During the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, The Hudson’s Bay Company launched their apparel line and one of the most popular products within the line were the Red Mittens. They were the “hot items” and sold out so fast that the Bay could barely keep up with demand. As soon as the new shipments hit the stores, they were gone within hours. Even Oprah caught the Red Mitten craze! Once the Games ended, the demand was still there but due to some policies, The Bay could not produce their Olympic gear any longer.
Original Gloves:
Solution: Capture the demand by producing the exact same gloves with a different design.
These gloves have been on the market for quite a few months now but I have not seen people wear the “new” gloves nearly as much as the original ones. This may be due to the fact that there may not be any demand for the product. For legal reasons, they had to change the design. I personally do not like the new design and many of my friends agree. Also, now that the Games have been over for almost a year now, the product’s appeal to the consumer may have diminished as the Mittens are no longer the “hot item.” In short, there just isn’t a craze for the Red Mittens as there was during the Olympics. Did the Bay make a smart move by re-releasing the gloves, or was it an unnecessary cost?
Any thoughts out there?