WeWork has built a billion-dollar business by convincing professionals to pay for decked out coworking spaces and a sense of community.
Entrepreneurs Ali Kriegsman and Alana Branston want to do the same for retail.
The pair are cofounders of Bulletin, a young startup that charges female-focused lifestyle brands a monthly membership fee for placement in its retail spaces and on its online marketplace. It raised more than $2 million last year and plans to open a flagship store in New York this spring.
But the founders are acutely aware that a behemoth is waiting in the wings: WeWork.
“In total transparency, we know that they’re going to penetrate retail, but we don’t know exactly what that means,” Kriegsman told CNN. “We’re eager to see.”
Two new job postings seen by CNN suggest Kriegsman is right to assume retail will play a bigger part in WeWork’s growing empire.
WeWork is looking to hire at least two senior employees to spearhead a push deeper into retail and e-commerce, according to the job listings posted to the company’s website this month.
The company is seeking a VP to “launch” a “new retail experience,” with a focus on food and beverages, one job posting says. The role will involve a “first location” in New York with plans to “quickly” open new locations in other markets.
