eBay is to open its first bricks and mortar store in the UK, as the online marketplace looks to expand its reach ahead of the Christmas season.
The one-off five-day experiment will be located on Dean Street just off London’s Oxford Street and will trade between December 1st-5th, a time expected to be the busiest period for online shopping.
The shop itself will have no tills and a very limited selection of stock, none of which shoppers can take away with them.
Instead, upon inspecting the goods on offer customers will be encouraged to scan a QR code that will log onto eBay using their smartphones and bid for goods.
PCs will also be available in-store for those wishing to check out the eBay website.
QR codes are being increasingly used by retailers, with Tesco experimenting in South Korea, allowing commuters to scan in QR codes printed on posters at a train station to buy their groceries.
The strategy of online retailers entering the high street is becoming popular in the retail sector and is known as ‘multichannel’. It has proved a runaway hit for the likes of Next, which encourages shoppers who buy goods online to visit stores to pick up their clothes. This saves the company distribution costs but allows customers to try on the clothes and means they don’t have to wait in to receive a delivery.
Last month House of Fraser opened a shop in Aberdeen, which had no products, but just an array of computers, free coffee and some shop assistants to help customers buy from their website.
