Guess what - MOO.com, an online business cards printer, went offline instead. Their shop is located in Shoreditch, London, in a mall filled with hip brands. Paul Lewis, the director of marketing, says 'We’ve taken our digital service and moved it into the real world. Though sadly we are seeing many brand name shops go under, this does mean that the meaning of the high street is changing for people. It gives opportunities to smaller businesses and startups.'
Moo offline store has replicated the layout of a webpage (you can even see the drop down menus!), which certainly adds the fun factor. (picture from TNW)
The store allows customers to choose and design their business card on site. They can also order online and collect in-store. I guess the most interesting part is the 'inspiration' corner, which showcases examples of sticker cards and prints that have chosen the service from Moo. All these allow more interaction between customers and products.Going offline can actually be beneficial to a company since customers can actually touch and feel the product, which can encourage engagement and reinforce brand loyalty.
Indeed, people's shopping habit has changed. Quoting Internet Retailing, We expect the future of retail to be about shops as well as online. But those shops will be ones that are highly-targeted, aimed at a demographic whose interest was first measured online, and offer plenty of added value services'. I cannot agree with this more. There is still plenty of opportunity in the high street, it is just that shoppers are evolving and the high street stores have to evolve with them in order to survive. I guess it is time to redefine the purpose of having a physical store. Shops are not just for displaying and selling products anymore, it should be a part of the multi-channel marketing and selling experience. I am not sure if Moo offline store will work but this can certainly generate a hype and excite potential customers - at least it works on me! Good luck :)
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