DISCUSSION
Once e-tail only, ThinkGeek expands brick-and-mortar presence
Written by RetailWire Staff
Photo: ThinkGeek
Since GameStop’s August 2015 acquisition of then pure-play e-tailer ThinkGeek and its parent company Geeknet, the company has transformed the online world’s foremost purveyor of licensed merchandise and collectibles (what gamers call “loot”) into a successful brick-and-click hybrid. Since last year, the company launched four brick-and-mortar locations. Now, ThinkGeek plans to dramatically increase its brick-and-mortar presence by opening 25 more stores in the U.S. this year and 25 more internationally, under the moniker Zing Pop Culture.
In an interview with RetailWire, Mike Mauler, EVP and president of GameStop International, explained the instrumental role that the storefronts have played in helping the company take “loot” sales to the next level.
“Nobody really goes online looking for a Star Trek pizza cutter, but you go into a ThinkGeek store and you see one and you just gotta have it,” said Mr. Mauler. “We see that a lot. A lot of impulse purchases. A lot of people interacting with the product and having fun. The kind of thing you really can’t do simply by going on a website to look for something specific.”
ThinkGeek is also committed to creating a seamless omnichannel experience for its customers including:
- Implementing click-and-collect, which enables customers to order from the retailer’s website for local pickup;
- Initiating ship-from-store in about half its locations;
- Filling inventory gaps by enabling customers who are unable to find what they want in a store to order it for delivery to their home;
- Developing mobile apps for iOS and Android, giving customers other options for gaining product information and making purchases;
- Mining data from its brick-and-mortar store to inform promotions it runs on its website.