Tesla Motors has started to sell retail products such as bags and gloves as part of the revamp of its stores all over the world in preparation for the launch of the Model X electric sports utility vehicle.
Similar to luxury car brands Ferrari, Porsche and BMW, Tesla now has its very own fashion line named the Tesla Design Collection, which it will sell through its revamped stores.
Among the pieces included in the collection are the $400 Moab Weekender Bag, the $300 Aurland Tote, the $100 Men's Touch Screen Leather Driving Gloves, the $100 Bethesda iPad Sleeve, the $40 Lully Pouch, and the $30 Maumee Key Fob Sleeve. In October, customers can also expect to see cycling jerseys to go on sale in Tesla's stores.
The in-house product design team of Tesla, which is based in Los Angeles, is tasked with all of the designs of the apparel and gear being sold by the electric car company.
The leather scraps from the interiors of the vehicles being produced by Tesla are transformed into the leather products being sold by Tesla, with the bags being named after certain locations of Superchargers. According to Tesla, customers usually purchase bags that are matched with their car's interiors.
In addition, Tesla is planning a seasonal revamp of its stores twice a year, similar to the workings of the fashion industry. The company will look to create interest in and attract more shoppers with its new offerings, with the current revamp to remain over the next two quarters and another revamp to be launched in the first quarter of next year.
The retail products of Tesla and the revamping of the company's stores are part of its efforts to tell Tesla's story, with a newly refreshed store in San Jose, California sporting interactive displays that had four major themes, specifically safety, Tesla's charging network, autopilot features and the dual motors of Tesla's electric cars.
"People who buy an electric vehicle go through a very different process than someone buying a car with an internal combustion engine," said Tesla's VP of Communications Ricardo Reyes, citing the example that customers do not enter car dealerships and ask how gas stations work, but when they enter Tesla stores, the first questions customers ask are always regarding the charging process of the electric cars.
Luring fresh customers and maintaining current ones will be important to reach the goal set by Tesla CEO Elon Musk of selling 500,000 electric cars annually by 2020. By selling expensive clothes and accessories, along with the attention-grabbing revamps of its stores, the company is looking to boost revenue and deepen its relationship with rich customers.
