THE JOURNEY TO TARGET

As you all know, PuffCuff is officially available on Target.com. In today's post, we'd like to take a trip down memory lane and reflect on the journey to finally having our products available at one of the largest online retailers in the world. It took nearly a decade of hard work and dedication to make this dream a reality, and we hope that sharing our story will motivate all of you never to stop learning, growing, and pushing toward your goals. 

2016: The Beginning

• Since our founder Ceata first had the vision for The PuffCuff, she imagined it being available at major retailers like Target. Still, her passion for realizing that dream was ignited when she attended the 2016 National Minority Supplier Diversity Conference in Chicago. There she met with Target representatives that gave excellent advice on getting the product retail-ready, which Ceata and the team immediately implemented. We thought our quick action would lead to them getting into Target soon, but sadly, we were wrong. 

2017: If At First You Dont Succeed 

• The PuffCuff team attempted to gain entry into Target by utilizing the supplier diversity portal and the traditional supplier portal and hiring a seasoned manufacturing rep, all with no success. 

2018: A Fire Forged by Fury 

• Ceata received a DM from a fan on Instagram with a picture of a hair clamp Target was selling in-store that looked suspiciously similar to the patented PuffCuff clamp. This PuffCuff knockoff product was called the Cantu Thick Hair Clip. Ceata was "heartbroken, deflated, and, to be honest, angry," but in true Ceata fashion, she didn't let it stop her from pressing forward. She used this moment as further motivation to get the REAL PuffCuff in Target. 

2018: The Perfect Partnership at the Perfect Time

• Sally Beauty began distributing ThePuffCuff nationwide as part of their business accelerator initiative, created to help women beauty entrepreneurs grow their businesses. This partnership with Sally Beauty helped the team prepare to have relationships with other big box retailers one day as we pursued our coveted Target partnership. 

2019-2020 Pressing Forward 

• The PuffCuff team continued to grow the business and brand, expanding our product offerings and winning the hearts of curly hair customers across the US and beyond. 

2021 Turning Over A New Leaf

• The team worked with Hands On Twin Cities in Minneapolis, MN, a non-profit organization that connects BIPOC small businesses with Target subject matter experts. The experts helped the team design the layout of a new warehouse to maximize efficiency and implement a new inventory management system. 

2022: Another Rejection 

• Ceata applied to the 2022 Target Take Off Beauty Accelerator but was turned down. The rejection notice said that the brand was "beyond the scope of the Target Takeoff program" and recommended that we complete the Target Supplier Intake Form for consideration by Target for in-store availability.

September 2022: A Push Towards Progress

• Ceata hired Feednomics to connect the PUffCuff Shopify store directly to various e-commerce marketplaces. Feednomics believed our product would be a good fit for the Target+ marketplace and offered to assist us in completing the rigorous application to sell on Target.com.

November 2022: At Last

• PuffCuff was approved and able to integrate our products into the Target ecosystem with the help of Feednomics.

Being available on Target.com was not quick, easy, or fun, but it was worth it in so many ways. It has already significantly impacted the business, with over a 2.86% conversion rate before our launch announcement and with no advertising.

We are confident the sale of the PuffCuff line of products will thrive on Target.com, and we eagerly await our tools for curly and textured hair to be available for purchase on the shelves of your local Target store. 

We hope that seeing our journey reminds you that anything worth having is worth fighting for, and if you remain focused, you can achieve the desires of your heart.