FirstCry.com presses ahead with O2O model

FirstCry.com has opened its 70th store on OMR road Chennai. The store has a unique touch screen kiosk to help customers browse through a wide array of products offered by the retail giant. The 32 inch touch screen digital kiosk helps ensure optimal use of the space while making the buyer aware about the online store. In case any product ordered by a customer is not available in the store at that moment, it is ordered and delivered to them later whereby making the entire gamut of one lakh products available to the customer at their fingertip.

This strategy is being implemented in relation to its O2O (online to offline) retail model followed by the store. The digital kiosk ensures ease of browsing the products from one place while giving the parents the look and feel of the product. All the vendors tying up with FirstCry.com have their own space on the kiosk which allows the parents to browse through specific products if they so choose. Along with this unique offline digital experience the parents are also given a gift box with discount coupons that can be availed both online and offline.

Supam Maheshvari, Co-Founder & CEO, FirstCry.com, while talking about these innovative kiosks said "One of the key aspects of our marketing strategy is to keep online and offline integrated. A parent who shops with FirstCry.com should be able to get the same experience online and offline. Therefore, we look at making all parents who shop with us aware of both our presences. We have a strong e-mailing programme through which we are able to send personalised mailers making parents aware of store openings, promotions etc. In addition, we have introduced a highly innovative concept of a 32” Digital Kiosk installed in each store - since a store is limited by physical space, we have used the Kiosk to allow parents to browse the large online variety and order what they like and the order will be delivered at the store.”

With O2O market in India estimated to be about Rs 50,000 crores the store plans to open its outlets in over 400 locations across India and spread its digital innovation across the country.