BostInno's State of Innovation is a month-long feature on mobile, marketing, retail and e-commerce, and higher education innovation in Boston. #BSOI will include research reports, indexes, and more exclusive content for Channel members and the State of Innovation Forum on June 27th. Contact us to learn more.
Brick-and-mortar stores almost across the board have a social media presence of some kind, geared toward reeling in potential customers and heightening brand awareness where people are increasingly spending more and more of their time: phone, computer and tablet screens.
But how does an e-commerce or online-only retailer give its customers the person-to-person, tangible product experience without throwing down on a store of its own?
Pop-up shops are proliferating. They're cheaper than the alternative, easy to execute and super mobile, with the ability to roam from city to city, hitting only the spots where they'll have the most impact.
The concept isn't new. (Boston has seen iterations for everything from Hot Chocolate to Lobster Rolls to, ahem, One Direction.) But it continues to catch on, and for good reason.
“I think they achieve the same thing as an establishment but often times feel more special to the person who experiences them,” said Mike Salguero, CEO and co-founder of CustomMade, a Boston online marketplace that connects makers with buyers for a one-of-a-kind shopping experience.
Their ephemeral nature lends the pop-up shop an air of novelty and exclusivity. You either experienced it or you did not -- there's no taking a rain check.
It's proven quite effective for online brands to ply their wares in such a way, giving consumers the rare chance to try before they buy, so to speak, rather than ogling a pair of shoes or designer handbag solely in two-dimensions.
An apt local example was the touch-down of bespoke suit company Indochino, which came to Newbury Street this March (above) as a stop in its never ending circuit of pop-up panache. I had long been familiar with the brand, admiring its selection and business model from afar. The pop-up shop gave me an opportunity to see the suits in person, to fondle the fabrics and speak with their sales associates. It allowed me to personally connect with a brand I had previously only seen online. I left liking it more.
Just down the street at the Bonobos Guideshop, the concept is taken a bit further. The luxury men's apparel company (with some of the best email marketing in the game, FYI) began as an online only affair, spinning off the Guideshop concept (Boston was the first, there are six total to-date) as a way to create physical pillars in communities and connect on a more personal level with its fervent fan base. I attended the store's one-year anniversary party and can say from experience that the majority of attendees had been to the store before, and were excited to be back. Lots of those men were wearing Bonobos apparel.
Their model, though not a pop-up shop, speaks to the overall approach of companies fostering brand loyalty through putting their products physically in people's hands. Guideshop customers are rewarded with loyalty programs, early access to new products, custom suiting events in store, and one-on-one attention when it comes to buying clothing.
"Bonobos is able to build a meaningful and unique relationship with their customers via the Bonobos Guideshop concept," said Erin Ersenkal, the company's vice president of planning and brand operations. "Guideshops are e-commerce stores that give men the opportunity to shop the previously online-only brand in-person with a complimentary Bonobos Guide – an expert trained in fit and style to guide men through the apparel, educate them on fit, and provide style tips to work with their current wardrobe."
The concept of an "e-commerce store," as Ersenkal called it, captures the current digital retail landscape perfectly. The two approaches -- customers buying products online versus in a physical store -- are not mutually exclusive, but coexist on the same spectrum, often working together if not overlapping entirely.
BostInno's State of Innovation Forum will dive into this issue further, featuring expert panelists and a comprehensive report with more from Bonobos, CustomMade and other local influencers.
