Zara has officially opened its first click-and- collect concept store in Londons Westfield shopping centre. The Inditex-owned retail giant has launched a purpose-built space to accommodate shoppers while its flagship store, which is also located on the east London site, is being refurbished to double in size. The concept store will be open until May, when the brands newer, bigger flagship opens once again. The new location is spread in around 2,152 sq. ft, has a dedicated space to collect online purchases, while also stocking a selection of pieces from both menswear and women’s wear.
Customers will be given the choice of receiving their items the same day if ordered before 2 pm. The concept store will also incorporate high-tech features. Sales assistants will hold mobile devices to help customers with sizes, stock and collections and you can pay by card, via Bluetooth, at the register.
One can choose to avoid lines by paying through an app where the Zara and Inditex Group apps both permit this, plus InWallet. There's also a self-service checkout. A virtual styling tool is also on hand in-store. Information screens will be embedded into mirrors, with customers permitted to scan barcodes of items using sci-fi- sounding radio frequency identification technology. Once the item is recognised, the internal system brings up multiple choices for coordinating and combining the piece with other garments and accessories."
This futuristic shopping experience comes as part of Indites game plan to slow down its growth in physical retail and instead focus its efforts on omni- channels. Chairman and CEO of Inditex, Pablo Isla said in a brand statement that this marks “another milestone in our strategy of integrating our stores with the online world which represents an important part of our identity.”