Attention retailers: Would your customers shell out $7 to have the shiny, new and more expensive shoes they’ve just purchased protected against water, stains and color fading? Would they be interested in this checkout process that’s quick (about 60 seconds), organic and safer than home aerosol methods? If the answer is yes to these questions, then you might consider bringing in an Imbox device in your stores.
Not only does an Imbox device provide an eco-friendly way for customers to protect and increase the longevity of their footwear, it presents an additional revenue stream for retailers as well as serves as a traffic draw. The Denmark-based company, since launching in 2011, has proof. “On average, approximately 40 percent of all shoes sold receive the treatment based on data we’ve collected from over 6,700 Imbox set-ups in 31 countries, which complete over 30 million treatments annually,” says Oliver Hede, North American Manager for Imbox Protection. “Imbox is a proven in-store service that provides an experience that we know consumers purchase at high rates. It’s also a proven way to obtain additional revenue and generate positive cash flow from day one.”
Imbox offers a risk-free pilot program that involves a small fee per treatment used, while all other device costs are covered. Those include shipment, installation, maintenance, staff training and replenishing fluid. A six-to-eight-week pilot program that moves on to a long-term agreement requires a monthly rental fee for each unit that includes a number of free treatments. “Imbox is not an add-on cost to the retailer,” Hede says. “And from a consumer standpoint, it just makes sense to pay only $7 at checkout to get newly purchased shoes protected in an environmentally friendly and safer way than traditional aerosols.”
Imbox began branching into the U.S. market last summer. So far, so good, reports Hede. “We’ve received great feedback from retailers who see Imbox as an opportunity to increase basket size,” he says, citing California’s Lucky Feet Shoes and Schuler Shoes in Minnesota as two early adopters. The company’s European clientele includes Deichman, Stadium and The Athlete’s Foot, among many others. “We’re presently in communication with several U.S. regional and national chains in various categories, including dress, sports, outdoor and department stores,” Hede says. “We’re confident U.S. consumers, like EU consumers, will appreciate the convenience, technology and service that Imbox offers.”
