Mass customisation moves into bricks and mortar

octomedia

21st Dec 2015

Bricks and mortar retailers and shopping centres are backing mass customisation concepts offered by online retailers.

With startups such as Shoes of Prey and Mon Purse securing floor space in department stores, more retailers are rolling out digital kiosks offering DIY design instore.

Swimwear and activewear e-tailers, Kini Swimwear and OnTheGo Sports, have both unveiled bricks and mortar campaigns this summer.

Kini Swimwear has partnered with Glue Store to bring its online customisation offering to the masses.

T H R O W B A C K • To last Thursday with this babe! @caitlynpaterson joining us at @gluestore #bondijunction to design her very own #kiniswimwear #customkini!! We are now live in @westfieldbondijunction and @westfieldmiranda. Come in, try on and #designyourown in store! ✌?️ #potd #ootd #bikinioftheday #kiniglue #kinixglue #

A photo posted by Kini Swimwear (@kiniswimwear) on Dec 10, 2015 at 1:00am PST

Founded by friends Elle Aram and Emily Pinniger, Kini Swimwear will power pop up “customisation bars”, which allow customers to design their very own bespoke bikini in three of Glue’s flagship stores until the end of January.

The instore activations will feature a “design pod” where customers can touch, feel and try on styles before designing their own custom Kini – a three-step process that is guided by ‘how to’ design and style video clips. After making a purchase, shoppers will receive their custom Kini bikini within 14 days.

The service, which officially launched in July 2014 after a pilot period, was previously only available online. 

The pop up bars have been installed in three Glue Stores in Bondi Junction Westfield, Westfield Miranda and Melbourne Emporium.

“For us it was really the next step to bring Kini to the masses,” co-founder Emily Pinniger said. “We’ve got a really strong online following, but one of our biggest barriers to purchase for a lot of women is that they can’t try the products on.”

Pinniger said even though much of retail has moved online, shoppers still want to touch, feel and try on products.

“This opportunity to have the pop up allows us to bridge that gap for customers,” she said.

OnTheGo Sports Kiosk

Over the weekend online retailer, OnTheGo Sports, partnered with Westfield to launch instore kiosks in Woden, ACT which allow shoppers to customise sportswear.

“These kiosks represent the next chapter in this journey, to fit the global growth of personalisation and activewear, two fast-growing global trends,” said OnTheGo founder, Mick Spencer.

“Since launching in 2011, OnTheGo Sports has been focussed on making it really easy and beautiful for teams, groups and organisations to design and develop their best apparel and accessories.”

The terminals combine the ease and convenience of online shopping with the benefit of being able to touch and feel all of the products, fabrics and see colours.

The kiosks, which will be rolled out throughout Australian sports retailers, events and malls in 2016 take up just over 1sqm of valuable floor space.

OnTheGo Sports also provides a sportswear range exclusive to David Jones.