What: stores will serve as community hubs for an increasingly omnichannel retail experience

Why is it important: Shopify to play a critical role in a physical retail

DTC brands like Allbirds are now focusing on the critical role stores will play to serve shoppers’ multichannel needs. Post-pandemic, more direct-to-consumer brands will turn to physical retail as a way to build community.

Allbirds, a Shopify customer, is continuing to open new retail stores and expects store traffic to rebound strongly post-pandemic. In that way, Shopify is helping stores to schedule kerbside pickups, enhance ship-from-store capabilities, create shop-by-appointment reservations, boost its customer personalization and service to make the in-store shopping experience more efficient.

“Having the ability to meet the customer wherever they want to be met, at any time, is critical as we go into the future,” said Travis Boyce, head of global retail operations at Allbirds.

Allbirds began 2020 with ambitious plans to open 20 stores during the year and increase its store count from 15 to 35. The pandemic slowed those plans, and it ended last year with 23 stores, including store openings in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Going forward, Boyce said, stores will serve as hubs for a broad omnichannel experience, and as places where Allbirds can build a sense of community for its customers.

“Appointment scheduling could become how shoppers let stores know they want personalized service”, Arpan Podduturi, director of product at Shopify, said.

Shopify surveys have found “that 50% of consumers would like to be able to schedule a time for in-store shopping,” Podduturi said. Appointments let shoppers share information about their preferences and sizes before they get to a store, allow store staff to choose specific products for them, have information about their purchase history and give more shoppers the VIP store treatment.

Why Digital Pioneers Allbirds and Shopify are Investing in Physical Retail