Missguided: Pure play-ful retailing
Many of my clients fall into the retail space so I am an avid reader of the latest news and upcoming trends. One story in particular that has caught my attention is Missguided’s and it’s spectacular launch onto the high street with not one but two very exciting concept stores.
In November last year, Missguided opened its first store in Stratford Westfield complete with extensive branding, a raft of selfie opportunities and even Unicorn water! At the time this was one of the first times such an established pure-play retailer had got playful with bricks and mortar and what a success it was. Missguided saw a 75% increase in revenues in the 12 months running up to March 2017, no wonder they wanted to open another store.
Risky or the right way to go?
Missguided were able to take their online branding and zest for life and seamlessly projected that onto their store experience. They planted tonnes of snap-worthy decor and quotes throughout the store and actively encouraged consumers to interact on social media with hashtags all over the store such as #babesofinstagram and #babepower. So, of course, the consumers (mainly Instagram loving Millennial ladies) lapped it up.
Shopping is no longer defined by channel but instead seen by consumers as just one seamless experience. Whether they shop on their desktop, mobile, at a pop-up or in store, they want the retailer to carry their baskets through and share information about them across channels. They also want to walk into a store feeling the same way they do when they visit the brand’s website and I believe Missguided pulled this off seemingly effortlessly.
Retailers also need to understand that stores are becoming more and more of a browsing channel. Many consumers may have visited the Missguided store to browse, get inspiration or even try on items that they would go on to buy online. Revenues for the store have still increased but the store has played a researching role instead of a transactional one. But this is no bad thing. And don’t forget the digital nature of a Missguided target customer will mean they are likely to share their experience on social media, widening the brand awareness net even further.
Win win all round I think!
Have you visited the Missguided stores? What did you think? Tweet us your pics @NeoPRLtd
