Australia’s newest high-tech flagships
In the last seven days Telstra, Blackmores and Rebel Sport have all unveiled new flagship stores with a healthy dose of technology mixed with specialised customer services.
As more online retailers venture into the world of bricks & mortar — for example Mon Purse, Amazon, and soon, Temple & Webster and Milan Direct — here is how a telco, wholesaler and old school retailer are positioning themselves as offline destinations.
Telstra
Telstra this week unveiled its second Discovery Store. The store in Melbourne’s CBD follows the opening of Telstra’s flagship at 400 George St. in October last year.
Andrew Coull, Telstra country wide executive director, described it as a “store that makes a personal connection between people and technology.”
“Our team of highly trained experts is dedicated to providing the best in personalised service for our customers. This is supported by the very latest innovations in digital technology that allow customers to seamlessly switch between physical and digital experiences as they explore, discover, try and buy,” he said.
More than 1500 devices are live in the store and 36 HD screens offer customers information on products and services.
Heat mapping cameras monitor the flow of customers and improved wireless technology in the store enables the store team to reduce transaction and wait times for customers, Telstra said.
The store also features a pop up space for community events and free coffee courtesy of an instore barista.
Blackmores
Vitamin and supplement brand, Blackmores, has opened its first Australian flagship store at Westfield Bondi Junction.
The flagship is part wellness centre, part pharmacy with rooms for private consultations with qualified naturopaths, a ‘Wellbeing Bar’ for food and drink tasting, as well as selling the full Blackmores product range.
One of the hero features of the flagship is the ‘Mindful Ocean’, which was designed in consultation with scientists at Swinburne University of Technology. Using sensors that detect brain activity, the Mindful Ocean (pictured below) will provide a four-minute personalised session showcasing how the mind interacts between levels of relaxation and calm verses active thinking.
According to the company, the Mindful Ocean offers “A Blackmores Wellbeing check that reads your brainwaves to understand your level of mindfulness.”
Rebel Sport
Rebel Sport’s new ‘Accelerate’ store concept was opened to the public at Westfield Bondi Junction last week.
The 1160sqm store aims to replicate the experience of being in the arena, locker room or playing alongside sports legends, through the physical design and use of virtual technology — which means plenty of astro turf, sport line markings and bench seats. Visitors to the store can play games on interactive screens using motion sensing technology, similar to a Nintendo Wii. High scores are recorded in the system, no doubt designed to encourage repeat visits.
The store also offers specialist services including bra-fitters, podiatrists and a team of personal trainers.
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