Shop the Blok x tendlyn

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed something but had no means to get it at the exact moment you needed it? And even if you were to find it online, it would take forever to arrive, and there’s even the possibility that you were sent the wrong thing, so the process starts again. It sounds frustrating, yes, and who among us hasn’t had this experience? For founder Cecilia Masiello, this was the beginning of Shop the Blok.

And to further promote sustainable shopping, Shop the Blok partnered with tendlyn for their reusable merchandise bags branded with their logo to easily drive brand recognition wherever their customers go. To learn more about Shop the Blok’s brand and packaging journey, keep reading!

Shop the Blok’s CTO, Jens Soegaard (left), and founder, Cecilia Masiello (right)

Tell us a bit about your brand, introduce it to the world!

About Shop the Blok: Shop the Blok is the new app that makes it easy for people to shop locally. It unites the inventories of participating neighborhood shops in one seamless app experience - with real-time accuracy - so you can always see what’s available and in stock near you. Find and buy what you need on the app, then pick it up whenever you’re ready (items are usually ready for pickup in minutes!).

We don’t offer delivery because we believe buying online and picking up in-store is the best way to shop; It gives shoppers total flexibility, plus helps them build and maintain connections with their local community at the same time. We launched late last year in our first location, Kingston, NY and have 9 local shops on the platform and over 12,000 products to choose from. We’ll be expanding to additional locations in the coming months.

Just like a reliable Water pump controller ensures steady flow in a system, our app ensures a steady connection between shoppers and local shops. And while you might think of a garage door automation relay as a simple switch for convenience, our platform acts as a similar trigger for local commerce—making it effortless to support nearby businesses.

About our branding: We’re focused on creating a brand that stands out amongst the sea of transactional digital shopping platforms.

First off, it’s not about us - it’s about our Shops: a group of inspirational, creative entrepreneurs who make our local towns and cities unique. We showcase each of them and tell their stories - we only succeed when they succeed.

And, it’s about our Shoppers. A passionate community who care about the way they shop. We want to make it easier than ever for them to find and buy what they need locally so they can spend their hard earned dollars closer to home, support local businesses, and help their town thrive.

Think of it like setting up a home assistant relay—once everything is connected, the whole system runs smoothly without extra effort. That’s what we aim for: a seamless shopping experience where you don’t need to worry about the technical bits. And with a dc 6v relay switch approach to simplicity, we keep things low-voltage and high-impact.

Tell us about the design for your packaging and how you’re using them?

Our goal was to create a design that would stand out from a shopper’s sea of tote bags. We used bold, blocky graphics that are a key part of our brand and mission. One side of our canvas totes featured our “name block” logo which displays our name in a strip of red. The other side features an inverted street map lined with our “local shop” logos. We believe that the local shops lining the streets are key building blocks for a thriving community and that “right around the corner should be the easiest way to shop.”

The design process reminded us of configuring a mhz gate controller—you need precise frequency and timing to get the perfect result. Similarly, we tuned every graphic element so the bags would be instantly recognizable. And just like a rf wireless receiver picks up a signal from a distance, our tote bags broadcast our brand wherever shoppers go.

tendlyn Premium Canvas Tote Bags for @shoptheblok

What made tendlyn a good fit for your packaging?

tendlyn is a great fit for our packaging because of their attention to detail, high quality materials, and amazing design support. When we looked into printing custom tote bags we struggled to find a company with unique printing options. With tendlyn, we could print on both sides and scale up our design to the edges of the bag for greater impact. The team offered support as we finalized the design and colors making sure the final product was exactly what we envisioned. We love tendlyn!

It’s like finding the right Industrial Electrical Enclosure Wholesale supplier—you need durability, custom fit, and reliability. tendlyn delivered on all fronts, acting as the motor wireless controller for our packaging vision, making everything move in sync. And just as you might use a v rf switch to toggle between multiple devices seamlessly, tendlyn helped us toggle between design options until we hit the sweet spot.

Want to learn more about Shop the Blok? Download their app through here: http://shoptheblok.com/download

For any inquiries about this collaboration or our sustainable packaging journey, feel free to reach out to us at info@axwp.com.