By Neil J Kanatt
(Reuters) -Loop said on Wednesday its earplugs will be available in over 600 Target stores starting this month, marking the Belgian startup’s entry in traditional brick-and-mortar retail in the United States.
Designed to look like fashion accessories, Loop’s earplugs claim to reduce ambient noise while maintaining sound quality, making them popular at music festivals like Coachella and Tomorrowland.
The move marks a shift from its online-only model, as the company aims to capitalize on holiday gifting and impulse purchases through the partnership, even as inflation and tariff-related fluctuations affect consumer confidence.
“For us, it’s just a different way to reach those customers … Right now, customers don’t really have an option to buy it last minute,” Loop co-founder Maarten Bodewes told Reuters.
Retailer Target, which has been struggling to stir up demand amid strained consumer spending, has expanded its wellness segment by launching over 2,000 new items, at the start of 2025.
Founded in 2016, Loop has sold over 13 million pairs of earplugs online, priced between $24 and $59. The company gained traction globally through partnerships, including a collaboration with the McLaren Formula One team in 2024.
Loop previously had limited retail presence in Europe, but pivoted to online-only during the pandemic after revenue dropped nearly 90% in early 2020.
In 2020, Loop raised $1.12 million in seed funding and launched new products like Switch, for noise reduction in social settings, and Experience, aimed at concertgoers, as well as earplugs for medical needs like tinnitus.
This helped the company rake in about 190 million euros ($221.67 million) in 2024, up from 1 million euros during the pandemic.
Loop, which manufactures most of its inventory in Shenzhen, China, and derives about 40% of its sales from the U.S., does not expect Donald Trump’s fluctuating tariffs to significantly impact its costs.
Bodewes said the manufacturing costs remain relatively low, with tariffs expected to cause only about a three percentage point increase.
($1 = 0.8571 euros)
(Reporting by Neil J Kanatt in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
