VentureBeat reports on Kembrel, a Philadelphia retailer that sells discounted clothing online and in a physical location.
"What we’re trying is a minimal investment retail concept," (co-founder Stephan) Jacob said when asked about the risk involved in taking an online business to the streets. "The key is in the linking of the two [offline with online], and using a physical presence as a branding tool. We're giving customers the option to shop, try and engage with brand offline, but we still offer the convenience of online shopping."
Just 11 days after opening, Jacob said the store is already proving that the model can work. "We're already seeing conversions, people coming from the website into the store, and customers visiting the store and later returning to the website," he said.
Kembrel's online-only approach to selling to college students has worked marginally well. The startup has accrued 32,000 online subscribers, 400 VIP members who pay for the privilege of extra benefits with site partners, and has even been touted in CosmoGirl and TeenVogue as the perfect site for young, penny-pinching trendsetters.
Original source: VentureBeat
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