Combining online and offline retail
April is the month of frenzied shopping for many, with gift giving and new clothes in ‘auspicious’ colours prescribed, most of us are busy running around buying stuff.
Scanning a code for more information on a garment. Pix by Amila Gamage
With Colombo’s – most cities actually – traffic being what it is, online shopping is becoming more appealing. Since online shops deliver and every step is a mere click of the button, it’s a time-saving, practical option.
But what happens if what you purchase online is not exactly what turns up on your doorstep? There is the hassle of return and possibly being refunded, and at the end of it being left empty handed.
For those of us who are wary of buying online, looking at, and perhaps touching, the item we want to purchase is very important. And so stores which could offer the best of both worlds are a wonderful thing. Fashionmarket.lk which started out in an online space has achieved this with the launch of its new ‘phygital’ store which is located within 33S – the Phygital Lifestyle Store on Duplication Road, Bambalapitiya.
Speaking of the new concept, CEO of Fashionmarket.lk, Harshi Alexander said, “It is a real-world component of our digital presence which is aimed to help us build a deeper consumer connection. With the launch of the store, we’ve been able to create the transition from simply online engagers to customers in many – the people who’ve already looked at our designs online but were hesitant to purchase. They now have our phygital store where they can visit to try on, check out the fabric, colour, texture and silhouettes – things that the online-only presence wouldn’t have been able to facilitate.”
That’s the physical element. The digital component allows for self-assisted shopping – so no sales staff peering over your shoulder – where all the products are tagged with unique QR codes that the customers can scan using their mobile devices, which takes them to the web page with the garment, where they can place the order.
The store is designed to combine the advantages of both online and offline retail, in order to serve customers seamlessly online to offline.
“Our designs are very unique – we have designerwear made in handloom, batik and other crafts that are not always ‘feelable’ on a website. So when we had our customers ask us if they can touch and feel, see and try on, we realised that we can make shopping online easier for them by supplementing the online experience with a brick and mortar presence. Our idea is not to convert a digital customer to a store customer, but to enhance their digital shopping experience with us once they’ve visited the store, keeping it omnichannel no matter where they are in the world,” she added.
For those who simply don’t have the time, there’s always the option of browsing through
Fashionmarket.lk online, from anywhere in the world. With free worldwide delivery offered, they can place orders online and have them delivered to their doorstep, experiencing weightless/bagless shopping.
Harshi adds that the phygital store has enhanced the relationship with existing customers due to the more personalised approach. “They’ve become closer to the brand.”
Fashionmarket.lk has special previews of latest collections, etc. hosted for these loyal customers. “We have lined up customer events, special promos and more in-store fun engagements to enhance customer relationships and introduce the new experience to them.”
And new customers? “We are able to build trust with new customers and once they are confident and assured of the quality, they become regular shoppers with us.”
The folks at Fashionmarket.lk foresee much demand through the phygital store.
“Absolutely. With the Fashionmarket.lk Phygital store we can facilitate several opportunities like hassle-free and seamless shopping experience, click and collect, order online and fit offline, delivery to doorstep, easy exchange and more, all in the interest of finding better ways of customer satisfaction.”
