Why Modell’s, Pier 1 and Dressbarn are reviving on Instagram

When Pier 1 went bankrupt four years ago, many fans lamented the furniture chain’s demise. Now, a flurry of cryptic social media posts are giving them hope for the full retail revival of the brand, which has been limited to e-commerce. On Tuesday, Pier 1 posted a series of Instagram posts with its logo and the caption, “Redecorating. Be back soon.” Similarly, Dressbarn, which has also been selling online only since filing for bankruptcy five years ago, posted “Spring close cleaning, brb.” Modell’s Sporting Goods, which has not had any retail operations since its 2020 bankruptcy, wrote “New era loading.” The posts are part of a social media strategy from Omni Retail Enterprises, a newly formed entity that recently acquired the majority of the assets of Retail Ecommerce Ventures, the firm that had previously bought bankrupt brands including Modell’s, Pier 1 and Dressbarn during their liquidation sales. Retail Ecommerce Ventures, which was near bankruptcy territory itself a year ago, is no longer in operation. “Omni is working hard to create unique communities that address their members’ specific current and future needs and desires,” wrote Danielle Bitts, head of brand and marketing at Omni, in an email. “Part of this will be the assortment of products curated by merchandising experts, and the content crafted for each community is equally critical for the long-term growth of these iconic brands.” She noted that Omni is planning to include organic social strategies, including new content, creators and partnerships, as part of its marketing strategy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pier 1 (@pier1) Shortly after its Instagram posts, Omni turned off the comments section for the three brands. Bitts said the comments will be turned back on in the coming months once Omni has its “updated organic strategy and community management system in place.” She added that “all options are on the table” when it comes to reviving the physical retail offerings of Dressbarn, Modell’s and Pier 1, which received over a thousand likes on one of its new posts. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Modell's Sporting Goods (@modells) While Omni also owns RadioShack, Bitts said there are no immediate plans for that brand. But Omni’s current social media strategy of generating social media buzz for once-bankrupt brands follows the electronics brand’s playbook of 2022. Memorably, RadioShack posted a flurry of X-rated tweets, which turned the bankrupt brand into a trending topic. The NSFW messages were later revealed to be part of RadioShack’s revival as a crypto platform. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Why Modell’s, Pier 1 and Dressbarn are reviving on Instagram

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