The future of physical retail
Just when we thought physical retail was dead, it turns out the chicken came before the EGG
If there’s one thing the pandemic taught us, It’s that nothing Is certain, and even the most foolproof and hardy of Institutions, even the trusty massfashion retailers of the past, could all come toppling down In a matter of weeks. It also taught us the value of supporting local In the Interest of re-growing our economy.
For months, we lived online and e-commerce became the only option for most of us. The road
to the future of the industry was paved in URLS and Paypal checkouts. The only problem was, we didn’t stop being human; we craved interaction, physical contact, the ability to try things on and interact with our clothing before committing to a purchase, and the joy of an outing or experience shared with friends or loved ones.
Now, imagine a space that allows you to experience shopping in a way you never have, with all the comforts, luxuries and trappings of a marketplace environment. Plus, the added benefits of online shopping and digital interfacing, and the opportunity to support local fashion, ergo your local economy, and by extension, your future.
We give you EGG, South Africa’s newest innovation in fashion retail: an omnichannel experience that collaborates, cocreates and coevolves. It’s doing it all as a local community, forming a world-class in-store experience that’s also available online. It launched its flagship at the end of last November in Cape Town, the first of many exciting and unique stores to come, catering for fashion, food, accessories, beauty, wellness and living. We spoke to the founders of EGG.
01 What is EGG? And how did the idea come about?
It’s a ‘phygital’ experience that gives local (and international) brands a platform to grow. I realised retail in
South Africa needed to be reimagined since many other industries had already been disrupted. I felt our local retail industry needed to do the same, but many brands were excluded from the formal shopping mall environment. EGG is a platform that brings innovation and creativity back into shopping centres and offers local brands the support they need during difficult times.
02 Why this approach? The world’s not what it used to be, and neither’s retail. We wanted local brands to be seen and to bring excitement back to shopping malls.
03 Why local? These brands are underrepresented in physical shopping centres, which limits their growth. By democratising retail and giving smaller brands a platform to grow, we enable them, and the economy, to flourish.
04 Why experiential shopping?
People are travelling to stores less and less due to the exponential growth of e-commerce, so we needed to create something experiential you could only feel if you were there, and give people a reason not to resort to online shopping. That also allows smaller brands to interact with customers and forge bonds to sustain their future development.
05 What can we look forward to in this space? Around 250 local and international brands, and seven fully equipped departments, including fashion, food, wellness, beauty, accessories, jewellery, living, streetwear, sneakers, customisation stations, and fully equipped photobooths to capture your moments in-store. Our partners will host unique experiences and events – but that’s just the beginning!
06 Why now? People are desperate for human interaction and the opportunity to experience products first-hand, so this is the perfect platform to satisfy that need.
07 Your thoughts on the responsibility that we, as
South African consumers, have toward growing the local economy? How does fashion factor into that? By supporting local brands, including fashion, we enable consumers to grow the economy, paving the way for more of them to follow in their footsteps.
08 Your plans? While no two stores will be the same, you can expect the ‘EGG experience’ whenever you step into one of our spaces.
We’ll reimagine retail in some of your favourite shopping spots and places you might not expect.
09 What makes EGG unique? We’re uniting omnichannels in a multidimensional shopping experience that combines retail, e-commerce and an interactive consumer app while appealing to a new generation of consumer who’s seeking an all-inclusive entertainment, locally sourced, learning and lifestyle fulfilment experience from a trip to the mall. You can use the EGG app to call our team, who’ll help you make the most of your in-store experience. While you’re browsing brands and discovering your new favourites, you can scan a QR code to find out everything you’d like to know about our partners. Soon, you’ll be able to shop online too – even while you’re in-store. Once you’ve checked out, we’ll drop off your items at a click-andcollect booth so you can skip the queues.