First Virtual Pop Up Store - Debenhams UK

Bit of a gimmick but entertaining and engaging none-the-less and quite frankly we need a bit of fun bought back into shopping don't we?

Debenhams in the UK has this week unveiled virtual pop-up stores at some of Britain's most famous landmarks including Trafalgar Square.

The stores are open for two days from today in George Square in Glasgow, Centenary Square in Birmingham, Albert Square in Manchester, Cardiff Castle in Wales and Trafalgar Square.

iPphone or iPad2 users who head down to the locations will see Debenhams’ top party dresses on their screen when they point their devices at the landmarks.

Shoppers will be able to virtually try on the items and order via their mobile devices.

An app, designed by GoldRun, needs to be downloaded for shoppers to see the clothing. Those who take part at the event receive a 20% discount.

See how the virtual store works in the video below.

Interactive engagement

When the going gets tough – INNOVATE

That's my view of retail and I think over the coming years we are due to see a lot more of it on Aussie shores. As the retail sector suffers and the country sits on the brink of a recession it's no secret that the coming months are set to become a challenging period. We’ve seen it in the Northern Hemisphere but if we are smart we can at least learn from their experiences.
What’s interesting is that the one thing nearly all retailers forget with diminishing revenue and cut budgets, is innovation. And that innovation and creativity is what will set them apart.

As Australian Retail Outlook deftly notes, “the money is there for the taking. It is up to retailers to create a compelling reason for them to part with it… Apple, JB Hi-Fi, Zara and Super Retail Group are all examples of retailers who are unzipping consumers’ wallets in supposedly bleak times.”

ALDO and Topshop are both great examples of retailers putting back a sense of fun, a sense of joy into shopping. Because quite frankly, it should be fun, I think we've just forgotten how to sell that.

This week Topshop teamed up with gaming app SCVNGR to provide an interactive store experience for students in the UK and US. By doing so Topshop bring cute challenges students can play to unlock exclusive rewards. For example, 20% off, a shopping spree, competitions and giveaways. Students are asked to simply download the app, do the challenges set to earn points and collect badges to receive rewards and prizes.

ALDO also revealed a new campaign called 'Shoes For Life'. An online competition where users are encouraged to play 3 games. Once completed (assuming you win each round which, quite frankly who cares if it's rigged that way or not) you receive a discount voucher to redeem against your next ALDO purchase, plus the chance to go into the draw to win shoes for life (well, 2 pairs per year for 25 years). A simple fun engagement piece that gives consumers a reason to shop there over Wittner or NineWest for example.

What I'm obsessed with this week..

When the fashion store Topshop opened in New York just over a year ago, a torrent of hype ensured there were queues of shoppers at the door on the first day. There was a blizzard of red, white and blue ticker tape to mark the moment, and at the opening party A-list celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and the editor of US Vogue, Anna Wintour, rubbed shoulders with Topshop's chunky billionaire owner, Sir Philip Green.

Six weeks ago, just a few hundred yards further along Broadway, another big name in British fashion retailing – AllSaints – arrived in the Big Apple with an altogether lower-key launch.

But the word in the rag trade is that it is going down a storm with New York's fashion-conscious consumers, and has taken more than $1m in its first two weeks – beating the takings at Topshop, whose shop is almost twice the size.

The 70-strong AllSaints chain is a little bit Goth. Its edgy clothing rails are a sea of black, beige, and grey. Its trademark motif is a skull and its speciality is the distressed look; clothes made to look well worn-in and scuffed Victorian-style boots without laces.

It's not cheap: leather jackets are north of £300; there are 45 graphic and skull-print T-shirts at up to £80 a piece; and more than 100 dresses averaging around £50 to £250. However, that doesn't seem to deter the masses who are paying not just for the trend that is All Saints but the sensational brand experience they get when they walk into one of their stores.



And what's interesting is that it doesn't advertise, preferring to drum up sales from free mentions in the fashion press and customer referrals. Equally, no staff are allowed to speak on behalf of the business.

What they do however is to promote the All Saints brand to their target by association. In NYC this Summer they have teamed up with the Williamsburg concert series, Jelly Pool Parties. At the event they set up an AllSaints pub where guests drank complimentary cocktails by Sailor Jerry rum and Dos Equis beer. The pub venue was decked out in their traditional heritage East End style with an antique bar, authentic piano and distressed AllSaints furniture.

All Saints have also teamed up with Agyness Deyn and fashion journalist Fiona Byrne who video blogged the event for their newly launched website NAAG.com and interviewed Alexa Chung, fashion designer Christian Siriano and model, Becka Diamond.

Their 'Flipbook' station was also housed in an AllSaints on-site container, which was painted by a local NYC artist. Every participant has a short clip filmed which is then turned into an original, hard copy flipbook and a digital version for them to share on Facebook and Twitter.

This is a retail brand that customers want to engage with both on the high street and off and one to watch for the future.


Thanks to The Guardian UK