Brussels, 23 May 2014 –Today, Mobistar will open its first concept store in Flanders the heart of Antwerp, under a new name: @Mobistar. This new store concept will provide an innovative shopping experience for consumers, focusing on unique atmosphere, discovery and service. Consumers will be able to test a wide range of devices and applications live, have their smartphone repaired, make an appointment for professional advice, and even ask questions or solve a problem with a customer support representative. During their visit to the shop, customers can safely let their mobile phone or smartphone recharge and enjoy a coffee and free WiFi while waiting. Moreover, the concept store is four times larger than the current Mobistar Centers and will have three to four times more staff.
There will be plenty of entertainment in the new Mobistar concept store. The devices presented won’t be just display models. Consumers will be able to discover and test a wide range of mobile phones, smartphones and tablets live. Large digital screens will display information about products and related services, comparisons between devices, the stock in real time, live social media streams and even weather reports. In addition to a wide range of devices, customers will also find an extensive range of accessories, including a series exclusive for @Mobistar. The “Event Zone” will host a digital “jukebox” in which consumers will be able to try quality headphones with music of their choice or to tune the music featured in the store to their tastes.
In the context of this concept store, Mobistar is counting on the expertise of its staff and their interaction with customers. Customers can contact specialised staff in every area of the shop. A special store area, the “B2B Expert Point”, will be dedicated to business customers. Professionals will be able to make an appointment with a B2B expert to get personalised advice. For residential customers, there will be a customer advisory area, where customer service staff will provide information and advice, and where customers will also be able to get problems solved, for instance regarding billing. There will also be a repair service. 70 % of the units can be repaired on-site. For the rest, customers will receive a quality device as temporarily replacement. There will also be a helpdesk to get smartphones configured and where specialists will be available for consumers to provide all technical information.
On the first floor of the building there will be a multi-purpose space where business people can work. There is also room to organise events. With that extra space, Mobistar offers local young entrepreneurs, artists and other creative people an opportunity to showcase their products.
Mobistar considers its first concept store as an extension of its online shop. Recent figures from GfK Significant have shown that 74 % of people still prefer to visit a shop when buying a device. One out of two clients prefers shops to get advice regarding price plans and 60 % of consumers use the web to look for information regarding a future purchase. Online shops are increasingly popular mostly when it comes to functional purchases. The fact that consumers can pick up products purchased online in the shop where they also take advantage of the service is just one example of the added value that a retail outlet has to offer.
Due to the development of online sales, consumers are again looking for nice shopping sensations. According to retail experts, in parallel to their online purchases, consumers want to live the genuine shopping experience again. “In 1990, with the opening of its first Niketown, Nike initiated a long series of ‘retail-as-theatre’ concepts, in which experience is central. Today this trend is experiencing a revival. Because of the steep rise of e-commerce, the trend is back, although it was never completely gone”, says Gino Van Ossel, Professor of Retail Marketing at the Vlerick Business School. “Webshops score highly on convenience, price and choice, but real stores distinguish themselves from the online competition with service and experience.”
By 2015, Mobistar plans to open four concept stores. A concept store is on average four times larger in size than an ordinary Mobistar Center and will employ three to four times more employees per shop.