The world of omnichannel retail has rapidly transformed the way we shop. Be it shopping in-store or on our devices, we are now able to seamlessly toggle between the offline and online worlds, engaging with our favourite brands with enhanced convenience. With an endless array of local and international brands at our fingertips, shoppers today are certainly spoilt for choice.

Beyond the benefits to shoppers, the omnichannel approach has also allowed retailers to offer a more immersive and personalised way to shop. Brands can leverage a myriad of touchpoints to reach their customers anytime, anywhere. Together with the ability to build greater loyalty and deeper engagement with their customers, omnichannel retailing has proven to be the next frontier of shopping as we know it. 

Riding this retail wave and adding a new dimension to omnichannel retail is Pixibo Fit Centre, the new kid on the block at The Centrepoint and the brainchild of Pixibo, a local retail tech start-up that is on a mission to challenge the online fashion world’s most complex problems. The first-ever Pixibo Fit Centre offers customers an all-new Try Before You Buy (TBYB) option. With this innovative concept, shoppers will be able to place their orders from across a myriad of online brands, try out the items physically in-store, and return any unwanted items to the Pixibo team hassle-free. This milestone launch takes Pixibo’s vision a step further by bridging the online-to-offline experience, and bringing customers closer to their favourite brands.

We caught up with Doreen Tan, Head of Retail Partnerships to find out more about Pixibo’s latest concept, how they are bringing together the best of both online and offline shopping, and the enduring e-commerce sustainability issues they are tackling together with their partner brands.

1. What were some common frustrations of an online shopper observed by the Pixibo team?

A common frustration that we observed, and have also heard from our shoppers, is that while the online shopping experience is exciting, the four-step process of buying, trying, requesting and verifying refunds can often be tedious or sometimes frustrating. 

Nevertheless, shoppers usually still undergo this lengthy process since nothing beats actually trying on the clothes in real-life – not just for fit, but how it looks and feels on you. However, we felt that more could be done to improve this entire experience.

2. How has this motivated the team to launch Pixibo Fit Centre?

At Pixibo, we are on the mission to transform the omnichannel shopping experience. The Pixibo Fit Centre was born out of the team’s vision to bring together the best of online and offline shopping by eliminating the common pain points experienced by shoppers, and make it as convenient as shopping in-store or at a mall. We believe that fashion is a product meant to be experienced and hence, trying out your apparel before purchase should be made as fuss-free as possible. 

3. How does Pixibo’s Try Before You Buy option work for shoppers and brands? 

Our Try Before You Buy (TBYB) option is a checkout service that integrates the traditional four-step online fashion shopping process of buying online, trying the apparel at home, requesting a refund, and verifying the refund into one seamless experience. With TBYB, shoppers are able to browse the offerings from any of our partner brands, send their consolidated purchases to our store and try them out within six days at our fitting rooms. Zero payment upfront is required and customers will only need to pay for the items that they choose to keep. We will then handle the returns of any unwanted items, making the entire experience hassle-free for the shopper.

For our partner brands, our logistics partner will be automatically notified whenever a shopper opts for the TBYB option. All TBYB orders will then be consolidated, picked up and delivered to the Pixibo Fit Centre. Customers can use our space to try out their items, and we will assist in collating and returning any unwanted items back to the brand.

4. What are the benefits of this option for both brands and shoppers? 

For shoppers, the TBYB option allows them to enjoy the best of both worlds – the convenience of browsing online and the hassle-free experience of trying out their clothes in-store. With TBYB, shoppers are also able to enjoy the benefits of free shipping, free returns and zero upfront payment, giving them a peace of mind when making their online purchase.

On the other hand, TBYB positions brands at the cutting-edge of online fashion, enabling them to establish a stronger relationship with their customers through a true omnichannel approach. Among other benefits, brands can leverage on TBYB to help grow their sales, achieve faster returns and drive sustainability.

5. How is Pixibo’s Try Before You Buy option driving sustainability in the online retail space? 

As multiple TBYB orders are consolidated from our partner brands before shipping to our store, this reduces the need for any last mile trips. Compared to a regular e-commerce order that is delivered to the shopper’s house, the average carbon dioxide emissions per order for our TBYB option is reduced significantly. 

Carbon dioxide emissions from last-mile deliveries has been an enduring challenge in the world of e-commerce and we hope to do our part in tackling this by offering customers a greener way to shop.

6. Are there any other sustainability practices that Pixibo Fit Centre is driving or will be driving in the future? 

In addition to minimising carbon emissions, we aim to do our part for the environment by achieving zero plastic waste at our store as well. At Pixibo Fit Centre, all our packaging contains zero plastic and our partner brands also utilise reusable cloth bags for shipping.

7. What are some brands shoppers can look forward to trying out at Pixibo Fit Centre? 

We have a growing group of diverse brands joining our coalition every month! These include both local and international brands such as Lacess and Tove & Libra from Hong Kong, Twosisters the Label from Australia, Cia Maritima from Brazil and Waistlab from Singapore. 

Each of these brands are specially curated by our Pixibo team to bring a wide variety of options for our shoppers. Some of these brands are also on display in our store so that customers will have the opportunity to discover new brands when they visit to try out their purchases.

8. How do you curate your brands for your shoppers? 

At Pixibo Fit Centre, our vision is to champion sustainability in the fashion retail space and this includes helping fashion brands grow sustainably as well. In partnering with retailers, we look out for mission-driven brands who hold similar values as us so that we can work towards paving the way for a greener future in online fashion together. 

9. Are there any experiential concepts that shoppers can look forward to in your store?

Of course! We are planning to tap on various innovative technologies such as visual artificial intelligence, smart mirrors, body suit sizing technology and more at Pixibo Fit Centre, so customers can get a glimpse into the future of retail. These are all aimed at offering our customers a differentiated and interactive shopping experience as well. In the coming months, we are also very excited to be partnering with other tech companies to bring in augmented and virtual reality technologies into our store.

The possibilities in experiential retail are endless and we look forward to continually enhance the shopping experience for our shoppers.

10. Why did you decide to open your first outlet at The Centrepoint? 

We love the central location of The Centrepoint and how it is located in the heart of Orchard Road. With the Pixibo Fit Centre dedicated to transforming the online fashion shopping experience, it was only appropriate that we are located in the center of Singapore’s bustling fashion district!

11. Are there any plans to open more Pixibo Fit Centres in the future?

Definitely. We are actively looking to open more Pixibo Fit Centres across Singapore so that shoppers can experience TBYB more conveniently. Do keep your eyes peeled for our new stores in the shopping malls near you!

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Experience the best of online and offline shopping with Pixibo Fit Centre. Shop smarter and greener by placing your order with any of their partner brands and head down to their store at The Centrepoint (#02-42) to try out your purchases today!