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THE B3 RETAIL TEAM TAKES US BEHIND THE SCENES (AND SHARES THEIR FAVORITE PRODUCTS)
The most comfortable leggings you’ve ever worn, must-have tanks, the water bottle you take everywhere—if you’ve ever shopped the B3 retail collection, it’s clear that our team is dedicated to bringing you the very best products out there. But did you know they’re just as dedicated to making sure every product we sell aligns with barre3 philosophy?
“When we look at a product, we’re looking at quality and style first and foremost,” explains Director of Retail Elena Rotondi. “But we also ask ourselves, ‘does this product stand up to our core values?’”
The approach is increasingly rare in an athleisure space that’s inundated with fast fashion. Manufacturers churn out new styles at breakneck speed to keep up with demand, going with the cheapest possible options to keep costs low and profits high. Unfortunately, going cheap often means compromising ethics—and that’s something we can’t support.
So how does the selection process work? We sat down with the retail team—Elena, Janie (Retail Marketing Coordinator), and Courtney (Retail Operations & Corporate Buyer)—to find out what happens behind the scenes before a product makes it to the shelves in the B3 Shop.
B3 MAGAZINE: Can you explain what you mean when you say you look for products that align with our core values?
RETAIL TEAM: We ask ourselves questions like how and where is this product made? Does the company employ ethical practices in the factory? Are they socially conscious? There are other things that draw us to companies, too. Is it woman-owned, like barre3? Does it have a giveback program that helps people in some way? Is it made in our community? Not every product has every one of these things, but every product has something that aligns with our values and helps us feel a connection to them.
B3 MAG: Do you look for products made in the U.S.?
RETAIL TEAM: We do seek out products made in the U.S., but not exclusively. When something is made abroad, we look into the company’s relationship with the factory. Are the workers paid fairly? Are they treated well? Does the company give back to the community where the factory is based? We do all of this backend research before we commit to carrying a product in our shop.
B3 MAG: Do you ever run into obstacles working this way?
RETAIL TEAM: We’ve had times when we’ve found something we loved but then chose not to carry it because it was mass-produced in China. It’s a mass-consumption world, so it’s bound to happen. But it’s important to us to work this way, so we’d always rather pay a little more for something made ethically.
B3 MAG: Can you give a few examples of the “why” behind some of brands we carry?
RETAIL TEAM: Absolutely. Beyond Yoga sources their materials ethically, and all their products are made in factories in L.A. Conscious Coconut is another great example. They work directly with their farmers, their product is packaged by adults with disabilities, and for every tube they sell, a child in need gets a meal through Feeding America food banks. The B3 community has fed 4700 children so far! Of course, at the end of the day, the product has to be amazing—and both of these companies deliver on that, too.
B3 MAG: Can you talk a little more about quality? How do you vet products before you sell them?
RETAIL TEAM: The product has to hold up. Everything we sell is tested by a barre3 instructor. We ask the testers a million questions: Do the pants stay up? Are they see through? Do they hold their stretch? Can you move in them? What happens after you wash them? If the quality isn’t there, we won’t sell it.
B3 MAG: Ok, last question: If you had to pick a favorite product in the shop right now, what would it be?
ELENA: It’s a tie: N’fuse deodorant and Conscious Coconut Oil
JANIE: the B3 X DYI Black Signature Tight
Thank you, Elena, Courtney, and Janie for giving us the behind the scenes on B3 retail!
The most comfortable leggings you’ve ever worn, must-have tanks, the water bottle you take everywhere—if you’ve ever shopped the B3 retail collection, it’s clear that our team is dedicated to bringing you the very best products out there. But did you know they’re just as dedicated to making sure every product we sell aligns with barre3 philosophy?
“When we look at a product, we’re looking at quality and style first and foremost,” explains Director of Retail Elena Rotondi. “But we also ask ourselves, ‘does this product stand up to our core values?’”
The approach is increasingly rare in an athleisure space that’s inundated with fast fashion. Manufacturers churn out new styles at breakneck speed to keep up with demand, going with the cheapest possible options to keep costs low and profits high. Unfortunately, going cheap often means compromising ethics—and that’s something we can’t support.
So how does the selection process work? We sat down with the retail team—Elena, Janie (Retail Marketing Coordinator), and Courtney (Retail Operations & Corporate Buyer)—to find out what happens behind the scenes before a product makes it to the shelves in the B3 Shop.
B3 MAGAZINE: Can you explain what you mean when you say you look for products that align with our core values?
RETAIL TEAM: We ask ourselves questions like how and where is this product made? Does the company employ ethical practices in the factory? Are they socially conscious? There are other things that draw us to companies, too. Is it woman-owned, like barre3? Does it have a giveback program that helps people in some way? Is it made in our community? Not every product has every one of these things, but every product has something that aligns with our values and helps us feel a connection to them.
B3 MAG: Do you look for products made in the U.S.?
RETAIL TEAM: We do seek out products made in the U.S., but not exclusively. When something is made abroad, we look into the company’s relationship with the factory. Are the workers paid fairly? Are they treated well? Does the company give back to the community where the factory is based? We do all of this backend research before we commit to carrying a product in our shop.
B3 MAG: Do you ever run into obstacles working this way?
RETAIL TEAM: We’ve had times when we’ve found something we loved but then chose not to carry it because it was mass-produced in China. It’s a mass-consumption world, so it’s bound to happen. But it’s important to us to work this way, so we’d always rather pay a little more for something made ethically.
B3 MAG: Can you give a few examples of the “why” behind some of brands we carry?
RETAIL TEAM: Absolutely. Beyond Yoga sources their materials ethically, and all their products are made in factories in L.A. Conscious Coconut is another great example. They work directly with their farmers, their product is packaged by adults with disabilities, and for every tube they sell, a child in need gets a meal through Feeding America food banks. The B3 community has fed 4700 children so far! Of course, at the end of the day, the product has to be amazing—and both of these companies deliver on that, too.B3 MAG: Can you talk a little more about quality? How do you vet products before you sell them?
RETAIL TEAM: The product has to hold up. Everything we sell is tested by a barre3 instructor. We ask the testers a million questions: Do the pants stay up? Are they see through? Do they hold their stretch? Can you move in them? What happens after you wash them? If the quality isn’t there, we won’t sell it.
B3 MAG: Ok, last question: If you had to pick a favorite product in the shop right now, what would it be?
ELENA: It’s a tie: N’fuse deodorant and Conscious Coconut Oil
JANIE: the B3 X DYI Black Signature Tight
Thank you, Elena, Courtney, and Janie for giving us the behind the scenes on B3 retail!
