Britain’s leading online marketplace steals the retail spotlight this Christmas, showcasing the best deals with the ease and convenience of mobile shopping.
In a campaign designed to be disruptive, while amplifying eBay’s presence in an increasingly crowded holiday market, eBay UK launched its first-ever pop-up shop in London’s fashionable West End. The beautifully-designed, inspirational store offers shoppers a traditional shopping experience with a futuristic mobile twist.
The UK’s first-ever QR code shopping emporium, the eBay Christmas Boutique enabled shoppers to browse over 350 items provided by top-rated eBay sellers, who could purchase using mobile technology with just a few clicks.
Shoppers were invited to try out the QR code experience using their own phones or provided HTC tablets, and browse eBay’s great holiday deals and gift ideas.
Providing a glimpse into the future of retail, the eBay Boutique has been hailed the perfect solution for shoppers who love browsing in-stores for inspiration, but prefer the efficiency, selection and value of online shopping.
Feedback from top Fashion brand and enterprise partner, Savile Row, has been ecstatic: “We often struggled to portray the quality of our products online. Enabling customers to feel and see the garments helped us demonstrate the quality of the Savile Row brand. We have also seen a rise in sales during the period the boutique was open.”
Open for just five days from Dec. 1 to 5, spanning the busiest online shopping weekend, the Boutique drew in a blaze of publicity from celebrity and TV Gadget Show presenter Suzi Perry.
eBay’s European Consumer PR Director, Julia Hutton-Potts said: “This campaign has more than exceeded our expectations. It has achieved outstanding media cut while resonating very positively with the public. We counted over 2,500 walk-in customers, all of whom were welcomed by eBay employees staffing the shop. “
Coverage of the Christmas Boutique reached 99 media outlets, which resulted in over 140 pieces of national and international broadcast, print and online coverage, a record for a European holiday PR campaign. “Over 250 twitterati tweeted to a total reach of 300,000 people, and eBay’s Facebook fan count jumped by 25,000 during the five days the shop was open,” Julia reported. “In total the campaign reached 92 million through traditional and social media channels.”
The Boutique also featured a selection of designer handbags being auctioned by non-profit Save the Children as part of their ‘bag to save a life campaign.’
Ann Bryon, Marketing Development Lead for Save the Children UK, said: “I would like to send a huge ‘Thank-you’ for the fantastic contribution eBay.co.uk and the Christmas Boutique made to our campaign. We raised an incredible £20,000 from the handbag auction and in doing so have doubled our stretch target.”
Honoring the season of giving, many of the toys and gifts displayed in the Boutique have been donated to children’s charities.