Can online brands save the mall?
87 views · Published 16 December 2018 · 1:46 · Indexed 12 November 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(11 Dec 2018) STEP INSIDE THIS MATTRESS STORE… AND THE EXPERIENCE COULD PUT YOU TO SLEEP. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Parikh, Casper co-founder: "It's the first version of us experimenting of what would a sleep shop look like? We've actually got houses in which you can experience the products." CASPER IS AMONG A GROWING NUMBER OF RETAILERS WHO STARTED ONLINE AND ARE NOW OPENING UP BRICK AND MORTAR STORES. SOUNDBITE (English) Neil Parikh, Casper co-founder: We've got people that you can talk to about how to sleep better. / For the longest time, the mattress industry has been old school, the margins were huge. It was a bad experience. So, starting online allowed us to actually subvert the entire ecosystem." EXPERTS SAY INCREASED COMPETITION FOR ONLINE AD VIEWS HAS MADE IT COSTLIER TO ATTRACT EYEBALLS. THAT ALONG WITH HIGHER VACANCIES IN MALLS HAVE CREATED BIG INCENTIVES FOR BRANDS TO OPEN UP PHYSICAL STORES. SOUNDBITE (English) John Buckingham, Pepperdine University Marketing Professor: "I think in the beginning it was really more about we versus them. I think they realized that they actually could sell more online if they had a physical store. They're adding more brand awareness." THE MALL AT SHORT HILLS IN NEW JERSEY HAS EMBRACED SO-CALLED DISRUPTOR BRANDS AND STORES THAT OFFER A MORE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE TO HELP LURE SHOPPERS BACK. SOUNDBITE (English) Jamie Cox, General Manager, The Mall at Short Hills: "Simply opening the doors to a shopping center doesn't necessarily result in the sales we used to see 20 or 30 years ago. And so mall owners like ourselves need to be really creative and offer, not only the best stores, but the right experiences for our customers." UNTUCKIT - A MEN'S SHIRT BRAND DESIGNED TO BE WORN UNTUCKED – OFFERS SHOPPERS WHISKEY WHILE THEY BROWSE. INSIDE CANADA GOOSE, CUSTOMERS CAN TEST OUT HOW WARM THEIR JACKET WILL KEEP THEM IN A COLD ROOM. CASPER PLANS TO EXPAND TO 200 STORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. A SURPRISING ABOUT FACE FOR COMPANIES WHO ONCE DIDN'T DREAM OF OPENING UP A PHYSICAL STORE. KRYSTA FAURIA, ASSOCIATED PRESS, LOS ANGELES Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/cdd1ddaee5916ac82cd213a3567c4f7c
