Online Retailers Pop Open Omni-Channel Experiences
By Hannah Ash, contributing writer
Twenty-four hour access to online inventory and deals may not be enough for today’s on-the-go shopper; online retailers are moving to take the deals offline to better accommodate shoppers who want as much access as possible. As webrooming continues to gain speed, some online retailers are partnering with brick-and-mortars to bring their products to the racks. Other retailers are filling the demand through the use of pop-up shops. One example is online mens retailer Indochino; with the help of an online platform that caters to pop-up shops, the popular e-tailer is taking to the streets of major cities to drive sales with its custom tailoring pop-up shops.
It appears that as long as online retailers are here to stay, so too are pop-up shops. Joe Scartz, chief marketing officer of Digital BrandWorks, commented that this trend doesn’t mean things are getting less digital but rather that retailers today recognize the importance of hitting customers from ‘all angles.’ One enterprising company, Storefront, has made a business out of helping create pop-up opportunities for online retailers. Based in San Francisco, Storefront connects both brands and designers with available retail spaces that can be rented on a temporary basis; the platform is being referred to as the ‘airbnb’ of retail. Though it has been available only in New York and San Francisco, newly acquired funding means that the startup will soon be entering the Los Angeles market as well.
Though online retailers naturally have a strong online channel, this move toward real world racks indicated that one channel simply isn’t enough in today’s shopping climate. Retailers, both bricks and clicks, find ways to meet their customers where they are and continue to perfect the seamless shopping experience as new technology and trends emerge. Scartz reflects,"If these online retailers don't compete in an omni-channel way, they will lose ground to the bricks who are able to do this kind of thing.”