With reporting from Indahly Gebert-Tchan
The first customer arrived at 7.30pm on Friday night, more than 12 hours before the August 1 launch. By 1.30am, the first 100 places in the queue had been filled.
But Kikiva was not alone.
On the same day, Australian activewear brands LSKD and Elite Eleven opened new stores in New Zealand’s Commercial Bay and Melbourne’s Highpoint Shopping Centre, drawing hundreds of customers to their own launch events.
The scenes point to a growing strategy among online activewear brands: transforming physical stores into spaces where the communities they have built on social media can meet in person.
From followers to a physical community
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Founded in Perth in 2022 by Kia Buckley, Kikiva has built a loyal following through social media, where Buckley shares both the brand and her experiences building the business.
Kikiva employee Lashian Smith said that openness had been central to the brand’s appeal.
“Kia and the whole team are so real online,” Smith said.
“They have always been honest about the journey, and they share the hard times of growing the business, and social media has definitely been the main way it’s grown.”
“People see her more as a friend because she shares very in-depth things online.” Smith said, she continued saying, “I think most people connect with Kikiva because Kia grew up with nothing and she’s so real about it.”
That online connection became physical on opening day.
Kikiva promised the first 100 customers an exclusive goodie bag and promoted opportunities to meet Buckley, the brand’s Chinese factory partner Zhu, and sponsored athletes including macro-influencers and Love Island 2025 winner Yana Marks.
Customers waiting in line were offered matcha, marshmallow lattes and cookies, while the launch featured prizes, a DJ, speeches and photo walls.
Long-time customer Cassiana Papadoulis had followed Kikiva since 2023 and travelled to the launch after watching the company grow online.
“When they announced the opening, I knew I wanted to be there,” she said.
“I have watched them grow from the beginning, so I wanted to support them and see them take that next step.”
The scale of the event exceeded her expectations.
“I live close by and could hear everyone screaming and cheering from streets away,” Papadoulis said.
“There were hundreds of girls, a DJ, speeches, photo walls, drinks and snacks, everyone was dressed in pink and it was just really good vibes.”
Creating buzz — and FOMO
ECU Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing Dr Violetta Wilk said incentives such as giveaways helped turn store openings into events.
“What better way to keep them in those queues and create that buzz than to give away freebies, food and drinks, to sustain them in those lines and to ultimately create that buzz, that FOMO!” Dr. Wilk said,
“That is absolutely the holy grail of what marketing is about.”
Similar strategies were visible at the other activewear openings.
Elite Eleven reported more than 600 customers waiting at its Melbourne launch, where free hoodies, tote bags and embroidery were among the incentives. The brand said its first customer arrived at 2.30am.
LSKD also shared footage of a lengthy queue at its New Zealand opening.
It followed the launch of LSKD’s first WA store at Claremont Quarter eight months earlier, which attracted more than 1,000 customers. The first 400 customers were offered the chance to trade old leggings from any brand for new LSKD gear, while the first 100 men could swap their shorts.
Dr Wilk said the attraction went beyond free products.
“Activewear brands have increasingly shifted their social media strategies away from simply selling products, towards cultivating communities,” Dr Wilk said.
“We’re really seeing this upsurge in digital tribes, particularly in this specific product category. Rather than promoting leggings, shoes, sports bras as isolated purchases, these brands, really position themselves as facilitators of this shared lifestyle.”
Selling belonging
For Papadoulis, that sense of community was central to the Kikiva launch.
“I definitely think they’ve created more of a community than just a customer base,” she said.
“Perth is small and community-minded, and Kia has done a really good job at sharing her personal story which makes people want to support it.”
The excitement also spilled into neighbouring businesses.
Yochi employee Elina Ito was working at Karrinyup on the morning of the opening.
“A lot of people came into Yochi and said they’d been lining up since 7pm the night before,” Ito said.
“Nearly everyone who came in was holding a Kikiva bag and just nonstop talking about the opening.”
Dr Wilk said the relationships customers develop with founders through social media can strengthen their attachment to brands.
“People look for connection, they seek social approval,” Dr Wilk explained.
“If they feel like they have a connection with the founder or other people around the founder, really that helps with that whole brand loyalty, brand commitment, and ultimately leads to online brand advocacy.”
The success of the launches comes amid a difficult environment for Australian retailers. Activewear brand STAX entered receivership in June before voluntarily liquidating the following month.
Dr Wilk said physical retailers increasingly needed to offer consumers more than products and discounts.
“Traditional marketing is easier for competitors to replicate and often fails to build a more meaningful emotional connection with the consumer,” she said.
“Everything’s skyrocketing in terms of living costs, there’s intense online competition, and consumers are less likely to remain loyal to retailers that offer little beyond products and discounts.”
For Kikiva, the move from social media to bricks-and-mortar retail has given its online followers somewhere to turn that digital relationship into an in-person experience.
Smith hopes the store can continue that connection beyond opening day.
“I hope people come to the store and feel happiness. The community already connect with Kia and the team through social media, and now they’ve got a place where they can meet other Kikiva girls and feel even more connected,” she said.
Ava Tavolaro
Ava Tavolaro - a journalism and broadcast media student with a passion for sports media.
