Never before has Phygital – the blending of digital and physical retail experiences – been more important as we hit restart on the retail sector.
While the pandemic has accelerated digital purchasing, many shoppers have missed the interaction and personalised service that a physical store and brand experience can offer.
More than ever, stores need to be about building the experience and becoming destinations to create that all-important brand image and equity in the minds of consumers. It's what maintains the perception of the brand within a customer's mind, both online and in-store.
But making that strategic transition – from e-commerce to bricks and mortar – needs to be seamless and memorable, which is where phygital comes in.
Read on for our key takeaways of the phygital store experience.
Burberry’s social retail store in Shenzhen connects and rewards customers as they explore online and in-store. At the heart of this in-store experience is a dedicated app. This encourages customers to explore the brand online and offline and rewards them for doing so.
The more customers engage with Burberry, the richer their experience becomes. Within the mini program, customers can earn rewards through the Burberry social currency feature, offering exclusive content and personalised experiences such as secret menu items and access to ultra-exclusive selfie backdrops.
Here, the customer uses their own personal device to create a unique experience with the store. They control the pace and, better still, get rewarded for it.
Photo copyright of Burberry.
At Lucky Fox, we’re working with our clients to implement simple, cost-effective, yet innovative methods to provide customer consistency across all the brand’s channels.
Fundamental to this consistency is promoting app sign-ups through simple QR code scanning in-store. By using the store environment to launch ‘store only’ exclusive events, the all-important desire to go to the store continues.
In-store digital communication is also proving to be a valuable and sustainable way to communicate product innovation, storytelling, and navigation.
Ensuring the content is used consistently within the store environment, social media, and app promotion is key here.
Photo copyright of Levi’s UK. Photographer Tom Bunning.
Mercedes-Benz opened Studio Odeonsplatz in the centre of Munich as a brand experience space showcasing constantly changing campaigns and offers.
In addition to creating an exhibition space, the 400-square-metre venue includes a lounge area for co-working and community gatherings, a podcasting studio, and a deli bar.
Collaboration is also key to the success of the studio. By collaborating with various partners, creatives, and artists, they will constantly be creating new environments at the studio that enable digital and interactive brand experiences.
Here, the studio is seen less as a transactional store and more as a multi-sensory space.
Photo copyright of Mercedes-Benz.
When Selfridges launched its first-ever gaming destination, Playhouse by Smartech, in their Corner Shop, the store reportedly saw shoppers queuing up outside Oxford Street to try some of the exclusive gaming techs on offer.
Along with the opportunity to try out and buy the latest gaming innovations, Playhouse also developed an immersive AR game experience exclusively for Selfridges, combining virtual and augmented reality technology. Customers could play via a simple scan of a QR code with the chance to win a gaming bundle.
By providing so much to hold a customer’s attention and maximise dwell time, spontaneous purchasing soon follows.
Photo copyright of Selfridges. Photographer Tom D Morgan.
We couldn’t talk about phygital without referencing Amazon Fresh and its ’till-less’ grocery stores in the UK.
It just shows us the pace at which tech-assisted stores are moving. The QR code has quickly gained momentum during the pandemic. Amazon Fresh shows us just how usable it is for stores to provide customers with a seamless, touch-free way to pay.
We’re not saying shoppers will be expecting to see till-less and touch-less stores flooding our high streets. But it is a good glimpse into the not-so-distant future.
Photo copyright of Amazon UK.
