After four years as a pure play online retailer, gift store Yellow Octopus is following in Amazon’s footsteps by opening its first brick and mortar location.
The new store, in Moorabbin, Victoria, will showcase the company’s best-selling products, let customers check out products before they buy, and offer click & collect for online orders.
While many retailers are closing down or entering (voluntary) administration, Yellow Octopus founder Derek Sheen said he hopes the risky move will pay off.
Sheen explained he wants to use the physical store to provide a higher level of customer service, boosting the company’s sales along the way.
With over 3,000 products available online the store won’t house every one, but will act as a showroom where customers can browse the entire range on iPads, or use free Wi-Fi on their own device.
“Online will always be our primary focus, however, this omnichannel approach will open up greater flexibility for our customers,” he said.
“We provide a same day shipping option in Melbourne already, but many customers have expressed a desire to pick up their orders. We also understand that many people still want to be able to look at a product, pick it up and feel it before they buy.”
Although the retailer is entering the ‘traditional’ retail space of bricks and mortar, the aim is to introduce tech solutions that will make the physical shopping experience more streamlined and tie it into the company’s core online offering.
“iPads stationed around the store will allow customers to self-checkout, or save their order to a wish list to complete at home later, in a bid to reduce queues around busy periods such as Christmas,” said Sheen.
The innovation doesn’t stop there. Over the next 24 months the retailer will roll out an app, smart shelves and some cool in-store VR technology, further driving its tech innovation.
A version of this story originally appeared on Giftguide.
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