Phygital is an Omni channel strategy where customers will get all the good experiences while shopping through an online site and a brick-and-mortar store. It is a combination of physical and digital experiences. A brick-and-mortar store has its benefits that an online store can never provide to a shopper. In the same way, an eCommerce store has a lot of unique features which can leverage the total revenue of a retailer. Phygital is a modern technology in which artificial intelligence and machine learning are implemented to streamline the Omni channel presence of a retailer.
Nowadays most retail brands have a presence physical and online to get more customers and sales. The sales conversion may vary on both. Some customers prefer to shop through eCommerce sites. Some of them may want to experience and try the items in person by visiting the store. Those who visited directly the store may purchase it online. So customers’ choices and preferences are unpredictable. Here comes the importance of having a phygital store.
What is a Phygital Store?
Yes, this question is nowadays buzzing among retailers in UAE. Because recently one of the biggest retail groups Apparels, opened the first Phygital store in UAE. 6street.com is the first phygital store in UAE, opened in Dubai Hills Mall. It offers a completely new shopping experience to the shoppers across UAE. Like other retail stores, you can’t see a single item in the store to display. While you enter the store you can see some tablets waiting for you. You can just sit, relax, and browse your favorite items on the eCommerce website of 6street.
Customers can select from over 40,000 products and their favorite items to the cart. You can enter your WhatsApp number and select the option to try it in the fitting room. When the items are ready in the fitting room you will get a confirmation message. Just go to the interactive trail room to try the items. The interactive trial room has screens that allow you to change the color and size, request assistance, etc.
You can take the items to the fashion advisor who will help be there in the store to assist you in billing and checkout. Customers will get a completely new shopping experience throughout the shopping journey.
The phygital stores offer a unique shopping experience without long queues to checkout, and shoppers can enjoy the shopping time. This will be going to be a changing Phase for retail. Let’s wait and see what other features can be added to this new digital transformation in the coming years.
Benefits of Phygital stores
The customers will get a unique shopping experience by streamlining the online and physical stores. This will helps the brands to increase brand loyalty and integrity. Customers will get more freedom with this kind of shopping method. They can choose their preferred payment method or delivery method. They can enjoy the benefit of both online and in-store shopping channels. More flexibility in shopping leads to creating more loyal customers. Implementing a loyalty program with this Omni channel strategy can benefit you tremendously. Personalized offers and sales strategies from a Point of Sale solution like Retail Pro can leverage the sales in phygital stores.
Lush’ digital concept stores, Warby Parker’s virtual try-on, Nike speed store, etc. are examples of phygital retail. 80% of shoppers are changing their way of shopping. Customers always want to try new experiences from their favorite brands. Retailers are trying to implement Omni channel strategies in different ways with the help of technology. Even better transformations are yet to come.
