The Container Store Gets Social and Emotional About Nesting Trend

Whether you call it spring cleaning, clutter busting or simply getting organized, these offshoots of the nesting trend are, for many consumers, a concept that really only became a priority when the pandemic lockdowns and lifestyle shifts kicked in.

But for The Container Store, this focus on tidying, organizing and eliminating messes has been a part of the company’s DNA since its launch in 1978.

That’s partly why the Texas-based operator of 94 retail locations and a loyal following felt it was time to revamp this mature brand via a raft of updates and new campaigns including a new logo, loyalty program, mobile app, and renewed social media presence, all of which reflect this middle-aged specialty retailer’s attitude about how it wants to connect with its customers.

“We exist to transform lives through the power of organization,” Container Store CMO and 25-year company veteran Melissa Collins told PYMNTS Editor-in-Chief Matt Nesto in a recent conversation, while stressing the importance of timing related to lifestyle changes of the COVID era.

“[The rebrand campaign] was, I think, really important coming out of the pandemic to just make sure that we were connecting with our customers in a much more emotional way than maybe functional like we had done in the past,” Collins added, noting the invite-like messaging to nesting newcomers that the brand’s new purpose implies — “Welcome to the Organization.”

Whether you’re just starting out and learning about the power of organization or are already super-organized and expanding your tidy touches to the rest of your house, Collins said the rebrand was designed to welcome everybody.

Digital Era Realities

As any retailer knows, consumers are increasingly browsing and buying online and on their phones. In fact, recent PYMNTS data showed that for roughly one-third of consumers, smartphones have already become an essential part of their in-store shopping experience.

Not only has the Container Store belatedly just launched a mobile app that houses its new loyalty program, but it has also increased the size, shape and visibility of its re-designed logo.

“We had some challenges with the previous ‘capsule’ [version of the logo], as it got smaller on digital platforms it just got illegible,” Collins said, calling the launch of a new icon after 45 years “pretty monumental.”

The new look, which includes “three nested baskets,” is not only easier to read on a variety of different screens and touchpoints, Collins points out, but is also symbolic of the retailer’s three core lines of business.

“It also has that subtle smile, I call it ‘the nested smile,’ and it’s a nod to [The Container Store being] a happy place.” she said.

Show Us Your Drawers

All of these changes are not only happening at the store level and through its digital properties but are also being actively pushed and promoted on social media too, including high-profile tie-ups with organizing guru Marie Kondo, as well as the efforts that inspire customers to create and post their own content.

“We also did an integration with Drew Barrymore, which I think was super exciting and it really helped catapult our first-ever sponsored hashtag challenge on TikTok,” Collins said of the retailer’s cheeky #ShowUsYourDrawers campaign.

“We had a lot of fun with it and we had a lot of success with it because it really encouraged people to reveal that one universal thing we can all relate to but don’t want to talk about which is that we all probably have a junk drawer — or multiple junk drawers — in our homes,” she said.

In addition, Container Store’s elevated awareness initiative also includes the recruitment of “Brand Ambassadors” on TikTok as well as outreach to contributors, such as chefs or foodies, who bring credibility to kitchen-related organizing recommendations.

“I think our new customers, and future customers, are on Instagram, they’re on Tik Tok, they’re looking at images, they’re following organizers and [other] people that are known in the industry for [creating] beautiful executed spaces,” Collins said, as the company aims to tap the confidence and satisfaction that comes from something as small as straightening out a single junk drawer.