UGG debuts high-tech concept store in Washington, D.C. area
Goleta, Calif. --UGG parent company Deckers Brands announced the grand opening of its first-ever UGG Australia technology-driven concept store, located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
Centered exclusively on the consumer, the new store serves as Deckers' second "Innovation Lab"--the first being the company's Brand Showcase store in the Santa Barbara area--to test the latest omni-channel models, merchandising approaches and other innovations that can be deployed across company-owned retail locations.
"Omnichannel isn't just a catchphrase for Deckers; it's an integral part of our culture of innovation and our retail strategy--one that we've made investments in for more than five years now--to engage with our consumers with respect to their preferred shopping channel,” said Dave Powers, president of Omni-Channel for Deckers Brands.
The strategy, said Powers, is on full display at the UGG store, where digital and physical shopping experiences are blended.
The 2,110-sq.-ft. store, now open to the public, features interactive digital enhancements that introduce online shopping in the brick-and-mortar store, including the "UGG By You" program and the "Bling It On" program, which enables consumers to transform UGG staples through a selection of Swarovski crystal patterns and statement-making looks.
The company is also introducing radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology that allows consumers trying on merchandise to view digitally triggered content on four 65-inch HD touchscreens throughout the store, including product information and options, style tips, videos, related marketing campaigns, and suggested complementary products.
Consumers can send themselves SMS texts with a product link right from the HD screens. Deckers Brands partnered with Control Group, a New York-based technology and design consultancy, to create the frictionless, interactive intelligence solutions incorporated into the RFID tags and touchscreens.
UGG sales associates will be equipped with iPads to attend to product questions, provide customer service support, and complete e-commerce purchase transactions for items not available on the sales floor. In addition, consumers will have access to free Wi-Fi while shopping so they can connect with their social channels and share their shopping experiences.
When the consumer's journey moves from the sales floor to the checkout, transactions of in-stock merchandise will be completed on tablets – these are minimal cash wrap solutions created to re-configure the store layout and showcase even more UGG brand products. Select Infinite UGG orders can be shipped overnight for free or picked up in-store.
The UGG store is situated on the first floor of Tysons Galleria in McLean, Va.