Last weekend, my cousin G bumped into someone who was sporting the Galaxy Gear smartwatch on his wrist. Curious, she asked him about the device, and he told her to check out the Samsung Galaxy Pop Up Shop in Soho. Intrigued by the whole Samsung lifestyle store concept, she and her husband decided to check out the place and see what they were missing. They enjoyed the store so much that G insisted on taking me there after our workout class today. Despite the cold weather and my general exhaustion (and hunger) from class, I willingly trekked with G down to Soho to check out the store. I was not disappointed.
It was a little techie wonderland! When we first entered the store, we were greeted by folks at the concierge desk who handed us each a card that we could use to earn points. Points could be earned by doing activities in various stations of the store, and the accumulated points could later be used to redeem special prizes. The layout of the pop up store was very inviting with its wide open spaces and modern design. Each station had a different activity where customers could participate. Most importantly, there was no pressure to buy anything since the store wasn't selling anything. The devices in the store were just for people to play around with, and all the activities in the stations were free.
Since G had been here before, she decided to start us off at her favorite station- the Photobooth corner. Here, a Samsung representative took a photo of us with her S4 phone, sent the picture to a Note via Bluetooth, allowed us to edit the picture (add filters, borders, stickers, etc.) with an app and a stylus, then printed it out for us to take home.
Our next stop was the Design Studio station where we could use a photo (from pictures in one's phone or from the internet), customize it, and print it on a mug or a compact mirror using yet another app on the Note tablet. While we were waiting for our items to print, we headed over to the cafe to grab a quick bite to eat.
[ yummy chocolate rugelach]
At the cafe, we used another Samsung device to order free snacks. Today's specials were pastries and juice from Organic Avenue. In a real business setting, I think using the device is a smart way for customers to get their orders into the system queue (which is awesome if the snack bar is crowded) and a fantastic way for the business owner to keep tabs of what's been ordered (and track the popularity of different products).
Our last stop was the entertainment room where we chilled out and watched the news for a bit before heading out for dinner. This room had TVs, couches, and a small desk with kid-friendly Samsung tablets where children could come in and play fun games. There was also an adult desk with regular tablets for adults to tinker around with as well.
Before we left, we checked back in with the Concierge desk to find out how many points we had accumulated. With our points, we were able to redeem speakers, earphone splitters, and T-shirts (with #TheNextBigThing scribbled on the back) all for free. It was lovely icing on the cake considering I had already gotten the photo, the compact mirror, and the snacks for free as well.
As a potential consumer and a marketer, I think that this pop up shop was brilliant for four reasons:
1.
The "Showrooming" thing: Showrooming, when customers go into brick and mortar stores to play with devices then buy it later on the internet for cheaper prices, is a reality in the retail world. I think that Samsung decided to make it work for them by creating a comfortable environment for customers to test the devices without having sales people pressure them into buying anything.
2.
The Experiential Branding thing: The store was a great way to showcase the awesome features of Samsung devices. It's one thing to read reviews or to watch a commercial, but it's another to actually be able to experience the device, see it in action, hear it work, and make it do what you want it to do.
3.
The Psychology thing: In giving away some freebies, Samsung found a way to get customers to associate using Samsung devices to having fun and receiving cool rewards. G left the store feeling incredibly elated last weekend, and I was just as happy with my goodies when I left the store today.
4.
The "Word of Mouth" thing:
G heard about this store from a random person who felt compelled to share the experience with her. G and her husband checked it out and consequently told me and a few other friends about it. I told my husband about it and can't wait to drag him to the store later this week. That, in itself, shows how powerful the store is at gaining referrals and return visits from happy customers.
In the meantime, I'm looking up prices for the Galaxy Gear because I really want one now. :)
<3,
Tiffy
