Get Up Close and Personal With the Latest Tech Innovations
Companies who want to be featured on the b8ta floor can easily apply through the website, shrinking the traditional retail process from years to days. The store operates through a consignment system.
Technology has revolutionized the world of consumer products, but the retail industry is still struggling to catch up. Due to the outdated system, it can take years for a device to find its way to the shelves, especially if the company is a new one. Here to disrupt the traditional retail model is b8ta, a company whose flagship store in Palo Alto, California specializes in the Internet of Things. The founders, who are Nest alums, are bringing today’s most innovative products into a physical space where consumers can interact with hardware, staff members can assist with product tours, and brands can gain market insight through an online dashboard.
Products in the store fall under the general categories of Sense, Home, Play, and Move: AR/VR wearables; home gadgets; toys, games, and robots; and transportive products.
Excluded from brick-and-mortar retail spaces, young tech companies have relied on websites and crowdfunding platforms to sell units, but this cuts the tactile dimension of product discovery out of the equation. At b8ta, customers can not only engage with products ranging from the Boosted Board to the Oura Ring, but they also benefit from product tours conducted by trained staff members. Real-time information about inventory, reviews, and price comparisons eliminates the need for showrooming.
Each product is mounted next to a digital display with detailed information, and customers can reserve in-depth product tours by staff.
With b8ta’s proprietary software stack, brands have unprecedented access and control over how their merchandise performs on the floor, whether it be through in-store A/B testing or a flash sale. A partnership with RetailNext provides data about foot traffic and engagement so that companies can make informed marketing, pricing, training, and inventory decisions. Brands can affect changes from a simple online dashboard, and these adjustments sync throughout the store with notifications to staff.
An intuitive dashboard gives brands a holistic view of inventory, sales, and revenue. They can also run campaigns, schedule appointments, and dive into store visitor analytics.
"By streamlining the onboarding process and providing makers with better tools, b8ta is able to focus more of its resources on delivering an exceptional consumer experience," says Phillip Raub, CMO and cofounder of b8ta.
Visit the store at 516 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, California, or find b8ta online.
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