Uniqlo's Happy Machine

As part of the Regent Street relaunch, Uniqlo have added some interesting little features to attract talkability and repeat visit in their newly refurbished store.

Not at least of which includes the ‘happy machine' which appears in the middle of the Uniqlo store.



Shoppers are confronted by a structure mounted on a low, varnished wooden plinth. It is, principally, a transparent column in the shape of a cross. Each arm of the cross is divided into three, vertically, with a different style in each section. What marks out what the ‘happy machine’ offers is the astonishingly low price of the garments that it contains. Different styles are timed to be dispensed at various points throughout the day – providing a reason for multiple visits, if you happen to be close to the store during opening hours.

As a tempter, a piece of retail design and a fresh idea, this is pretty good and it has the additional merit of potentially getting people talking about Uniqlo, which should also be the objective of any promotional vehicle.

Advertise to your own customer.

Great article I read today by Jay Habegger about how Retailers Are Creating Media Properties That Will Revolutionize Marketing.


Online retail, by its very definition, exists so that companies can sell products and turn a profit on those sales. The model has grown steadily over the past decade as consumers become increasingly comfortable purchasing goods online. But savvier online retailers aren't merely consumer-facing stores anymore; they're evolving into media companies that can sell advertising and profit off their audience. In the process, they are creating a myriad of new digital co-operative marketing opportunities for themselves and their suppliers.

Retailers become media companies
On-site ad sales remain the most common way for retailers to dabble with transforming assets into paid media opportunities for suppliers. Similar to their use of retail signage or TV display ads at their brick-and-mortar locations, online retailers are transforming online real estate into digital media opportunities. Suppliers and third-party advertisers can purchase ad placements on the retailer's homepage, or within specific product category pages. On-site ad inventory gives advertisers the opportunity to push their message in front of online consumers as they are close to making purchase decisions. What better time for a product manufacturer to target a consumer than when they are already on the retail site? It's a great opportunity for the advertiser, and can boost the retailer's revenue.

The next evolution of digital co-marketing is an upgrade of re-targeting. Retailers have historically used retargeting to boost sales by driving traffic back to their websites, and it's a very effective tool for doing so. They place a cookie within a consumer's browser, and when that consumer leaves the site, the retailer pays for "retargeting" impressions on other sites with the goal of getting the consumer to return and complete the sale. Acting as a media company, the retailer now has the opportunity to sell that cookie and the associated audience data to its suppliers. Thus, it can still generate sales and conversions from retargeting programs, but now it can also transfer the media and creative costs. This approach reduces the retailer's digital advertising expenditure and creates a new revenue stream.

Influencing sales
These retailer-supported ad opportunities also benefit manufacturer advertisers. The ad techniques provide suppliers with a better targeting option that's comparable to today's popular ROI strategies — e.g., search or standard retargeting — and much more effective than standard behavioral targeting. Retargeting based on browsing data from retail sites helps manufacturers find consumers who are further down the purchase funnel, and enables them to directly influence sales within their online channel partners. Which type of impression do you think an advertiser would rather purchase: a generic "in-market TV buyer" via a popular data exchange, or an impression from a major retail partner for a consumer who just visited its TV section?

Watching Amazon, Best Buy
Amazon recently announced that it would sell media impressions across the web, via a DSP, powered by its own customer-browsing data. BestBuy's online cookie program segments its 30 million online shoppers into consumer categories — categories that can be addressed with display ads across large publisher partner sites. As more retailers explore the potential of selling media, their interest will revolutionize co-operative marketing. Whether it's on-site advertisements for co-marketing partners, or the sale of retargeting inventory through a retail audience network, the ad is reaching a consumer who is actively looking to purchase in a supplier's retail channel. As more retailers focus on building audience networks, they will open the door to a powerful advertising tool unmatched by anything else online.

Bodum has opened a new interactive store in Paris dubbed Bodum-lab.

The new concept store is located on the high profile Avenue de Opera and will provide customers with the opportunity to test kitchen equipment inside the store. Experience and involvement were the key concept of the new store, says the kitchenware brand.

"Handling and using the kitchenware is very different from just looking at it in its box. Just as when you buy a new shirt. You want to be certain that the shirt looks good and that it fits you," said Jorgen Bodum, CEO of Bodum.

The new store also features professional chefs who demonstrate the kitchen equipment. Also, demonstration films are displayed on screens while customers test the equipment.

Once the customer finds the perfect equipment they are looking for, they can order it online, while they are in the store, and the store will deliver it directly to their home addresses.



The new store also gives the customers a chance to make comments, criticism and feedback.

"Our great confidence in the quality of our products means that we are not afraid of direct feedback from our customers. We have already benefited greatly from suggestions from our customers through channels such as Facebook and Amazon. Bodum-lab is a natural next step in our direct dialogue with customers," said Bodum.

Bodum is a tableware and kitchenware family owned company that was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1944. The company was founded by Peter Bodum. Its first store was established in London in 1986.

Currently, Bodum has more than 300 stores globally which includes stores in Sydney, Copenhagen, Paris, Lucerne, Zuerich, New York and Tokyo. The company also sells its products in more than 55 countries.

Bodum has already produced a total of 4000 product lines, including vacuum coffee maker Santos which became a worldwide hit, and the French coffee press Bistro. Its products also include tea pots, textiles, kitchen equipment, BBQ's and more.

Bodum said the new concept will be a trend in all stores that will be set up in the future. The introduction of the new lab interactive store is expected to attract both Parisians and tourists visitors.




Inside retail

Net-A-Porter pop up interactive store

Luxury fashion etailer Net-a-Porter.com made its first move into bricks-and-mortar last night with an augmented reality pop-up window shop.

It opened two stores, one on Mount Street in London and the other on Mercer Street in New York, that allowed customers to scan pictures of products on the wall using their phones, and buy or win the items.

The stores were open for one night as part of Vogue’s Fashion Night Out event. After downloading the Window Shop application, which has augmented reality technology called Aurasma embedded, customers’ mobile phones were able to recognise product images.

After scanning a particular image the phones took customers to multimedia content related to products, and to Net-a-Porter’s online shop. Any purchases were sent by next day delivery to shoppers.

Net-a-Porter, which worked with software company Autonomy, said it is keen to help customers use their mobile phones to shop.

VP of marketing and sales Alison Loehnis said: “With the Window Shops concept, we found a way to participate in the excitement of Fashion Night Out that is true to our brand with the innovative use of technology, shopping on the go from one’s mobile device, our edit of the most relevant and sought-after fashions of the moment, and the added bonus of having the opportunity to win prizes.”

Rebecca Thomson - Retail Week

The largest inner city shopping development in Europe - now open.

Marks & Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland opened proceedings at the new Westfield Stratford City shopping centre yesterday declaring that the M&S store will “carry the torch for the best of UK retailing”.

Continuing the Olympics analogy, Bolland likened the crowds outside the store facing the M&S Stratford team to a “rugby match”.

Crowds grew so big that security at the shopping centre asked some retailers, including US fashion giant Forever 21, to open before its official 10am opening.

Both Westfield chairman Frank Lowy and Mayor of London Boris Johnson made speeches to mark the launch of the centre, before an energetic performance by singer Nicole Scherzinger.

Lowy said: “This is a very proud day for Westfield but an even more momentous day for east London. The 2012 Olympics will be a fantastic launch for this centre. It will do so much for the revival of east London.

“This wonderful shopping centre is certainly for the long term, for next year and beyond.”

Retail leaders including Sir Philip Green, Marc Bolland and Charlie Mayfield helped cut the ribbon to officially open the centre – the largest inner city shopping development in Europe.











Retail Week

Shoppable videos

Target’s collaboration with Missoni, debuting in stores next month, also marks the retailer’s first use of “shoppable videos.” A range of brands have been testing this technology, which enables consumers to click on items within a video; then they’re either redirected to an e-commerce page or able to add the item to a shopping cart without leaving the video. Some videos are visually arresting (Gucci and high-end men’s retailer Oki-Ni), some use music video-style storytelling (Canadian sportswear brand Roots) and others use basic stylist tips.

These videos engage shoppers in a way that static shots can’t and let viewers quickly transition into a transaction, perfect for today’s instant-gratification temperament. Expect more shoppable videos as seasonal shopping gets under way later this year.

Patty Orsini for JWT Intelligence

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.