Sugar, Inc.'s Retail Therapy

In mid July, Sugar Inc. expanded its women’s media network with the launch of its first social online game, called PopSugar’s Retail Therapy.

The online game made a strong debut, featuring popular brands such as Banana Republic, Barneys New York, Diane von Furstenberg, Gap, Juicy Couture, Topshop, and Tory Burch. FashionablyMarketing.Me interviewed Brian Sugar on the game’s astounding success.

PopSugar’s Retail Therapy allows players to merchandise and design their own fashion boutiques, letting them dress characters in the hottest styles and brands. Retail Therapy is available on Facebook and can be played for free.

Beginning with a small and empty boutique, players are challenged to stock their stores with clothing from PopSugar’s Retail Therapy brand partners; they’re also challenged to design their store layout. The virtual clothes are replicas of real items that players can buy. By carrying the best fashions, players earn virtual money to customize their stores with stylized furnishings, or they can grow their stores into giant department stores.

In addition to running their own boutique, players can shop at their friends’ stores or stores hosted by brand-name retailers. Players can also download their personalized characters and outfits to social networking sites in order to share their style with their network of friends.

“Our goal is to constantly add innovative offerings that entertain and delight our large audience of women. We wanted to create an addicting game that would appeal to one of their greatest areas of passion: fashion. Retail Therapy allows women to mix and match dream outfits from their favorite retailers and feel the experience of running their own high-end fashion boutique” – Brian Sugar, founder and CEO of Sugar Inc.