design:retail - March/April 2020 - 18

INNOVATION

DESIGN:RETAIL

MARCH/APRIL 2020

CONNECTED STORE

Fashion Forum
B8TA EXTENDS ITS RETAIL AS A
SERVICE MODEL TO FORUM, A NEW
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN FASHION AND
LIFESTYLE CONCEPT

➞ EXPERIENTIAL RETAIL LEADER b8ta has recently moved
into fashion. The second retail concept from the pioneer of the Retail as a Service (RaaS) model, Forum
aims to be a community-driven marketplace where
like-minded local makers and mission-driven
brands can share their story in a physical space and
customers can connect with them.
At Forum, we provide a carefully curated and
experiential shopping experience for all of our
consumers," says Phillip Raub, b8ta's co-founder
and president. "Given this, each brand has its own
unique story and aesthetic, which we've brought
from the shopping area into our tech-enabled
dressing room."
Recently opened in Los Angeles' West Hollywood, the first Forum flagship shows the innovative

concept in action. Along with incorporating the
RaaS model, Forum allows brands to design their
own space, adjust their inventory based on engagement (which is tracked through b8ta's recently
launched Ark Marketplace platform), and curate
in-store product launches and other communityminded events.
Brands and customers can engage behind the
curtain through a new tech-enabled dressing room
experience. "As shoppers try on clothes, our RFID
technology [which is also used to track which items
are being brought inside fitting rooms compared to

those that are purchased] auto adjusts the wall backdrop to reflect the ethos of the brand," Raub says.
Each brand can select the exact image (this will
eventually be accompanied by an audio experience). For example, sustainable and ethically made
outwear brand Remu Apparel chose an Ecuadorian
mountain landscape, calling back to the brand's
Latin American base and founding, Raub explains.
For customers, in-room digital screens display
product pop-ups allowing them to peruse styling
suggestions and request different sizes.
Additional Forum flagships are set to open this
year. "Similar to b8ta, we will strategically expand
Forum into fashion-forward markets that have
conscious-minded consumers looking for unique
shopping experiences," Raub says.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FORUM/B8TA

By Joann Plockova

NEW CONCEPTS

KFC Debuts Its First DriveThru-Only Restaurant
THE FAST-FOOD CHAIN PILOTS A NEW
HASSLE-FREE EXPERIENCE

➞ FRIED CHICKEN FANS in New Castle, Australia, are now

privy to a hassle-free fast-food experience at the
world's first KFC drive-thru-only restaurant-all
thanks to technology and app intergration.
"In the past, the drive-thru has always been an
extension of the overall experience," says Marty
McCauley, design director at FRCH NELSON. "Here,
the drive-thru is the experience."
Designed by FRCH NELSON in partnership with
the local KFC team, the new concept allows customers to order and pay via the KFC smartphone
app or website. Upon arrival, they'll head to one

of the three online pickup lanes and enter their
unique app-generated code on a touchscreen before picking up their order. Two additional lanes
offer traditional drive-thru service for those without the app. Customers also can place orders by
scanning QR codes on signage at the entrance or
in the lanes.
"The new drive-thru only restaurant is the latest
example of KFC's commitment to innovation,"

says the KFC team. "This world-first restaurant
will be a pilot for other global markets, with
learnings from how customers engage helping shape the future of KFC drive-thrus across
the globe."
The result is a convenient experience that fits
consumers' on-the-go lifestyles-sounds like a
winning recipe.
Hover your phone's
camera over this
smartcode to view a
video of how the drivethru-only concept works.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KFC

By Joann Plockova

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3/20/20 12:39 PM

design:retail - March/April 2020

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