Ah, yes, the 47th anniversary. A classic milestone worthy of celebrating. In marriage terms, the 47th anniversary is the amethyst anniversary. But, to Chili’s, it’s the branded merchandise anniversary.
This past Sunday, Chili’s unveiled its new e-commerce shop, joining the growing ranks of fast food and fast casual restaurants that have embraced online stores.
Our all-new merch store https://t.co/tk8mchLjxQ is packed with everything you need to rep the pepper on the daily. Happy Chili’s birthday to you! Site officially opens at 10 a.m. Central – get ready! pic.twitter.com/QVxZQ9xZuP
— Chili's Grill & Bar (@Chilis) March 13, 2022
“We’ve got all of the essentials covered with everything from trendy tees to functionally fabulous fanny packs, pool floats perfect for pampering and more, ranging from $10 to $60,” the company said, according to FSR Magazine. “So, whether you’re looking to become the TikTok trendsetter you’ve always dreamed of, refresh your remote work uniform or figure it’s about time you finally replace the holey socks in your dresser, we’ve got you covered. Supplies are limited, so make sure you mark your calendars! Basically: you want it, we got it … but only for so long.”
“We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Chili’s birthday with our Guests than to officially launch the store, and we look forward to commemorating more big moments with them and our Team Members in the future,” Michael Breed, Chili’s senior vice president of marketing, added.
Chili’s has experimented with online merchandise sales in the past, with a limited Cyber Monday drop in 2018 and branded “starter packs” to promote its new delivery service in 2019. But the company is finally entering the e-commerce game full-time. It’s smart, because many of its competitors have already done the same.
And to Chili’s credit, they came out of the gate pretty hot, with a wide range of products available on the web store, and included some limited-edition drops like the “Birthday Bundle,” which includes a water bottle, socks and a sticker each depicting the 3/13 birthday and the Presidente Margarita.
The line is also heavy with all-over print, which is a staple of fast food merchandise these days.
There will be more drops, which customers can learn about ahead of the masses by signing up for the My Chili’s Rewards program, which is a nice call-to-action to tie in with the merchandise.
While Chili’s isn’t breaking much new ground here, you have to give them credit for jumping in with both feet. Not a single amethyst item, though.
