New York City-based sleep products company Casper Sleep Inc. recently unveiled a new retail concept inside its recently refreshed store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California. Combining physical and digital experiences for consumers with amenities including a Snooze Bar (a dedicated consultation area), a Pillow Lab (a testing space for Casper’s full lineup of pillows) and a Bedroom DZzzign Center (virtual sleep setup design), the store is the latest entry in the ‘phygital’ retail revolution. According to a 2023 report by London-based accounting firm PwC, consumers “are saying that they want the physical shopping experience to be enhanced, facilitated or mediated by digital technologies.” We sat down with Brad Bailey, Casper’s Chief Sales Officer, to learn more about the company’s first-of-its-kind store and how he sees the future of retail.
Why was it important to launch this new store model in Costa Mesa, California?
The Sleep Shop in South Coast Plaza has been our concept store from the beginning. It’s been a space that has evolved with Casper and now will be the first-of-its-kind sleep destination where guests can fully immerse themselves in Casper’s award-winning innovation and find the best products for a great night’s sleep. This is the first Sleep Shop experience with a focus on customer education and provides loyal South Coast Plaza customers with a more elevated customer experience.
There has been lots of talk recently about ‘phygital’ retail. Is this how you see the future of retail?
Ultimately, Casper wants to be well represented at each step of the customer journey, whether it’s online, in our Sleep Shops, or at one of our wholesale partners. The blend of physical and digital retail will be important for businesses moving forward. The main goal should be meeting your customers where they like to shop and being consistent across all channels. The benefits of our multichannel approach are that it offers flexibility to consumer shopping preferences, whether that’s through DTC or retail partners, all the while increasing distribution and driving geographic expansion.
How else do you think retail spaces will continue to evolve in our increasingly digital age?
Technology is going to continue to play a big role in the retail evolution. What we’ve seen is that whether it’s shopping online, mobile devices, booking nap appointments or virtual shopping sessions, customers can learn about the new technology from Casper Labs and embrace it quickly.
