Selectspecs to open first high street store
Online spectacles retailer Selectspecs.com is to move onto the high street by opening its first bricks and mortar store.
The move follows the company’s decision to take a multi-channel approach to its future growth strategy rather than focusing on a pure online offer.
David McMillan who founded Selectspecs.com in 2005 explained: “The decision to open a shop on the high street stemmed from our observation that digital content has reached a new level of consumer influence. To stay ahead of the competition our future growth strategy had to combine both clicks and bricks; a multi-channel approach rather than a pure online offer.
“Channel-hopping is becoming the ‘new normal’ for today’s Internet savvy shopper so we envisage a high proportion of high street sales coming from this consumer sector as they will use the store as a showroom for online purchases. The intention is to increase brand exposure and sales by making the shopping experience more enjoyable and convenient than ever, both online and in-store.”
The new store in Westgate-on-Sea, which opens next month, will feature in-store computer terminals showcasing online ranges and frames and those not available in the shop can be called in for customers to try. Orders will then be processed and delivered to the customer at home, unlike many opticians who request that their customers collect from the store.
McMillan added: “With the convergence of bricks and mortar with online and mobile channels, there is a new era of retailing. Customers are using both online and offline channels and our business structure must keep up with the pace of change and continually strive for better.”
