KFC celebrated National Fried Chicken Day Thursday by launching a new merch shop available at KFCShop.com. The shop features apparel, accessories and a collaboration with Kentucky-based sunglass brand Shady Rays.
The brand’s limited-quantity “Ultimate Summer Collection,” is available through Aug. 13 and includes more than 20 new items, such as a beach towel, KFC Bucket hat, 1991 KFC logo koozie, KFC Sliders, a Finger Lickin’ Good tumbler, and KFC Shady Rays. The collection was created in partnership with Ink Branded, and the shop will be updated regularly with new items.
“We wanted to celebrate summer with our customers this year,” CMO Nick Chavez said in a statement. “This new collection has it all - outfit sets, varsity jackets, slides, and the brand favorite, bucket hat.”
Brand merchandise has taken a larger share of the spotlight of late, as several brands – from Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell and McDonald’s to Sweetgreen and Velvet Taco roll out new items that have nothing to do with the menu. Chick-fil-A’s launch in November 2022 was its first foray into branded merchandise and the company has since launched three new collections.
The draw, as Velvet Taco marketing director Cassie Cooper noted in an interview last year, is “to create walking billboards.”
“It’s not about a new revenue stream, it's really to help create experiences and make sure that our that our guests can walk out feeling like they are part of something deeper than just a taco,” she said.
For its part, KFC is adding an element of exclusivity behind its merch line, offering app users a first look at special collections and new items before they're released. The new shop comes as the brand is targeting younger consumers.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]