AIBU to never shop at Space NK again?

[JenniferJupiterr]

I’ll preface this by saying that if instagram, influencers and celeb type culture is not your thing, you’ll be better off skipping this one as it truly won’t be of interest!

Anyway. I noticed a few days ago that Space NK have organised a PR trip to Miami. Stacey Solomon, her sister, Rochelle Humes plus husband, Perrie Sian etc etc are all there and I just can’t understand the point? Could anyone enlighten me because all I can see is sheer bloody excess for the sake of it - tons of freebie products for these people (and all power to them! This isn’t a jealousy thing) , boat trips, £££ dinners laid on, huge limo type vehicles laid on - you get the drift.

but why? What are Space NK hoping to achieve here? They all flew out first class and it genuinely must have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

I get PR gifting and trips. But this seems just sheer OTT excess for no reason that I can fathom. It’s REALLY put me off shopping with them again. Not entirely sure why - maybe because I’ve got the ick?

Anyone else feel similar?

Well if publicity is the aim you've just helped them along...

@IDontHateRainbows. Oh I know that. Hard to discuss it on my own though alas!

and weirdly, my husband isn’t interested

I guess it's "icky" because ultimately you know you're paying for their excess?

Because it’s all advertising for them. I saw Stacey’s instagram posts and SpaceNK is all over it. To never shop in there again is a little ridiculous though. Hundreds of brands do advertising with celebs.

@Ineffable23 yeah I think you’ve articulated it well. There’s definitely an element of that

@somanychristmaslights well I’ll be ridiculous then!! 😡😅

Loads of brands do it. And I mean loads.

Usually beauty brands, fashion brands like PLT, Boohoo, White Fox etc. all the brands that cater for teens and young women.

Their aim is for the “influencers” to vlog and post about the trip, advertising the brands products to their followers.

I think it’s awful for the environment (as they usually use private jets) and awful for the young impressionable followers who inspire to be “influencers”.

@ImFinePMSL oh I know they all do it. I’ve worked in social media for years in the past.

I think this is just the sheer excess of it all? And yep - I could just not watch but can’t help myself. It just feels so … obvious

Buy their goods if you like them and think that they are worth the expense. Otherwise don’t. I’ve never heard of these people and my life seems better than yours for it. How do you know these people? They don’t seem to be adding to your life in a good way.

Don’t be boring @Plugg ! And why on earth comment when you have zero idea of any of it?

I will never understand how brands taking celebs and influencers away on holiday is meant to make me want to buy from them.

Giving already privileged people more privileges doesn’t attract me to a brand.

Space NK also sent a Father Christmas round to people like Sam Faiers house to give presents to their children which I found absolutely baffling. I would have had more respect if they went to a children’s hospital or put a post up saying instead of going round to influencers houses they donated X amount to a children’s charity.

Rather than them wasting all the money on this kind of advertising why not just not use that and reduce prices ? Pass savings on to consumers which would be the best advertisement of all ?

I always thought of space nk as being slightly luxury and unobtainable and somewhere I’d go for a treat to myself. Their recent social media marketing campaigns have completely changed that perception, it couldn’t be less luxe and has also put me off shopping there.

But I’ve realised I’m not their target demographic it’s the younger crowd but even then I’m not sure about this Miami trip it’s SO fake and cheesy, how do they think it’s good publicity, unless they’re going by all publicity is good publicity.

I see Space NK as high end products. The fact that Stacie et al are there has put me off it.

I agree, I thought exactly the same. The people on this trip already get freebies and probably don’t part with a penny in Space NK. Then they get invited on a ‘brand trip’ that they will get paid for too. Gives me the ick and I will look elsewhere before buying from them. Not that they probably give a hoot.

I’ve been thinking what a bloody waste that consumers are paying for. Nobody there seems to need the free trip. A few that I follow are saying they will give stuff away. Why don’t Space NK give to people who need it. It would impress me more.

It’s no shade to the people there from my point of view but blimey - everyone is screeching away having THE BEST TIME EVAAAAA and so much FUN and it just looks hilariously and excessively forced

Space NK is going downhill fast. I mean back in the day it was somewhat aspirational as a brand and now they are using Stacey Soloman.

Anyway, plenty of places nowadays to buy the brands they sell.

Tis a shame though.

Your shopping or lack of it are powerful cards you can hold.
So no, if you are peeved enough you can decide not to shop there. If enough people did in annoyance at the PR exercise then they would not do it again.
There is your issue though. Not enough people will know, let alone stop shopping there. Space NK is very aspirational shopping too.

They're still going? That's a surprise in itself. Oh well, it's kind of done its job then, as I now know something I assumed disappeared in the early 00s is still around.

I saw Stacey's photos, she did look stunning

I am jealous and dont think anyone should get to go to miami but me

I do suspect they are struggling nowadays. I was in Bristol last week and within a few metres was a large Sephora, Lookfantastic and a Boots beauty soon to open - that market is saturated.

But SpaceNK do have a good loyalty scheme which keeps me a customer.

I don't know how many of them went, but unless there were dozens, we're hardly talking hundreds of thousands on the trip, and even if it was, it's a cheaper way for them to brand/merchandise than mainstream advertising. It also presumably exposes them to different demographics of followers (I don't follow any of them, so don't know)?

Truthfully, I'm more likely to order the same things from Liberty or Selfridges than SpaceNK, but I don't think what you're describing is particularly unusual or wasteful as far as that stuff goes.

Ha ha same. I’m not sure I’d want to shop anywhere she might shop 🤣

Marketing costs money and using influencers is usually a cheaper option - and delivers much more value for money - than TV / out of home. The cost of flying a few influencers to Miami, plus discounted hotel rooms and excursions will still be cheaper than a national bus sides campaign for example, and will reach more of their target audience.

That said, I agree with the PPs that Space NK and Stacey Solomon do not seem like a natural fit. Space NK for me is for urban professional 40+ women - there's a branch near me which is right in the heart of law/city yummy mummy central. I really don't see how the brand aligns with Loose Women / ITV 2 type celebs.

Maybe, like Jaguar, they are going after a different market segment because if most professional middle aged women are anything like me, they will hardly wear much make up these days. Lockdown killed make-up and heels for most of my peers.