Written on the 22 May 2019 by David Simmons 

The team behind eCommerce tech startup Brauz have launched a new feature designed to drive sales in stores.

The 'Reserve in Store' feature allows customers to book a time slot to try on the items they have found online in a physical retail location.

Launching initially in partnership with Forever New and Retail Prodigy Group, the retail manager of Nike in Australia, Brauz's new feature is designed with retailers' needs in mind first and foremost.

Speaking to Business News Australia co-founder Lee Hardham says that the new feature was born from a rethink of what Brauz was all about.

"We originally launched Brauz as an app and a marketplace and we realised there were some problems with it and essentially it was failing," says Hardham.

"We asked over 1000 customers if they would use a feature to check product availability in stores. If we didn't get 60 per cent saying yes, then it was time to stop. But the survey showed 93 per cent said yes."

Hardham says the feature is a true omni channel solution for retailers who can craft an elevated in-store experience for customers who use the 'Reserve in Store' feature.

"Retailers and staff are gifted a chance to prepare for customers with the knowledge of person preference and provide a tailored shopping experience," says Hardham.

"The opportunity to upsell, suggest new arrivals and face-to-face connect with the online customer base will open new doors to enhanced sales and changing rooms."

Initially the 'Reserve in Store' feature will be available at Forever New's flagship stores across the country but is soon to be available at every store nationally.

Retail Prodigy Group will launch the Brauz bolt-on application for Nike customers in Victoria initially, and from June all Nike stores owned and operated by Retail Prodigy Group in Australia and New Zealand will utilise the feature.

"If we've learnt anything from our failures before it is that we wanted to make sure the new feature worked for the retailer and for the customers," says Hardham.

"The most important thing was understanding the hurdles of execution and understanding the preferences of the retailer within the product. If we just focus on that we can make sure that we have solutions to then roll out to other retailers."

While Hardham was unable to name names, he did hint that other retailers are interested in jumping on board with the 'Reserve in Store' feature.

"A lot of other retail solutions providers that have retail customers know that they still have the problem of driving traffic in store," says Hardham.

"And talking to a couple of them they are keen to offer the product to customers."

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