NZ company serves up online shopping - in the retail window

Full online shopping has come to bricks and mortar retail windows, with Kiwi retailer The Homestore offering a 24/7 storefront window that allows full online shopping via an interactive touchscreen.

The Labyrinth 24/7 Storefront allows windows shoppers to access product information, make secure purchases, access specific information such as a wedding register and view special offers.

At the point when personal details need to be provided to purchase an item, the purchase is handed over to the shopper's mobile device to ensure a secure check-out process and peace of mind when using a public touch screen to place an order.

Dan Vincent, The Homestore owner, says despite the move to a digital world, many shoppers still live for the endorphin rush that comes with making a purchase in-store.

"Online is an important sales channel for us, but around 80% of our sales still come from in-store shoppers who want to touch and experience the quality of our products first hand," Vincent says.

The company also carries 8000 products, with customers enjoying coming into the store to ask questions and get advice, a view backed by Point of Purchase Advertising International's 2014 Mass Merchant Study found 82% of purchase decisions are still made in-store.

However, today's shoppers, particularly millennials, are plugged into technology and are constantly hunting for information from multiple sources.

Vaughan Reed of Labyrinth Solutions, the company behind The Homestore's 24/7 Storefront, says adapting is not just about having a substantial online offering anymore. "It's about bringing the digital experience into the store and using it to deliver a consistently unbeatable customer experience," Reed says.

He says the convergence of the real and digital worlds – known as an omni-channel retail strategy – is 'what's going to give retailers with physical stores the upper hand.

Reed says the Storefront drives foot traffic into The Homestore and also gives shoppers the flexibility to view and purchase products 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"An online website, while available around the clock, cannot capture business from passing foot traffic outside of normal hours.

The Storefront solution integrates with The Homestore's website allowing offers, products, pricing and all content to be centrally managed to provide a consistent omni-channel experience.

"At the end of the day, the 24/7 Storefront is an engaging and interactive experience for Homestore customers, which is another touch point with their brand that consumers wouldn't otherwise have had," Reed says.