What Happened
Online beauty retailer Birchbox is set to open its second brick-and-mortar store in Paris, following its first physical store that opened in NYC in 2014. The company plans to deliver a store experience that emulates the “beauty products in a box” subscription service it offers online, allowing customers to personalize their own box of sample-sized products from the store’s shelves or buy full-sized products. Birchbox, founded in 2010, now claims claims one million subscribers across the U.S. and a few European markets.
What Brands Need To Do
This is the latest addition to the ongoing trend where online retailers are branching out into the brick-and-mortar world. A most prominent example in this regard, of course, is Amazon, which has opened several physical bookstores with plans to open more, including one in Manhattan. Besides bookstores, Amazon is also piloting an innovative grocery store concept called Amazon Go that is register-free. After all, physical retail still accounts for nearly 90 percent of all retail transactions. Therefore, it makes sense for an e-retailer like Birchbox to try to recreate their online customer experience in the real world to attract new customers. As shopper behaviors continue to evolve, retailers need to better utilize customer data to connect with shoppers across all sales channels by taking a more personalized approach.
The Lab has extensive experience working with retail and CPG clients to create and implement digitally-enhanced experiences for their stores. Our recent work with NYX Cosmetics incorporated the brand’s social assets into its retail experience and offered an innovative take on in-store sampling with a digital beauty bar powered by tablet apps. If you’d like to learn more about how to modernize your in-store experiences, please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Holland ([email protected]) to schedule a visit to the Lab.
Source: VentureBeat
