“免費商店”進軍英國效果顯著

A new retail phenomenon from Japan which allows customers to walk away with free products is to launch in Britain.

From tomorrow, visitors to SampleTrend’s central London store can try anything on its shelves, and all of the products can be taken home without charge.

For a nominal annual membership fee of £60, users are free to enter the shop once a month and help themselves to no less than £250 worth of goods every year.

The only ‘catch’ is that shoppers are asked to complete a simple questionnaire about each product they try.

Known as ‘try-vertising’, the concept allows manufacturers to test products and receive consumer feedback before launching onto the open market.

It is already a sensation in Japan and now looks set to transform the fortunes of the embattled UK retail industry.

According to new figures, stores are facing a Christmas crisis with the weakest High Street trading for six months.

Michael Ghosh, the brainchild behind SampleTrend, said: 'The concept behind SampleTrend is unique in the UK.

'It allows shoppers the opportunity to walk away with a number of real, full-size products of their choosing without handing over a penny.'

The concept of in-store try-vertising is simple but effective. Businesses across all sectors, from cosmetic manufacturers to beverage makers, place new products on the shelves at SampleTrend and wait for consumers to try them out.

Customers complete a short 10-point questionnaire about the product, and the feedback they provide is used to make any last-minute tweaks before the product is brought officially to market. The SampleTrend store stocks everything from cosmetics, food and drink, and household goods.

Ghosh, the former advertising and sales director for Disney Europe, said such feedback may also build brand loyalty from the outset - a particularly appealing prospect for new businesses.日本的新式零售模式將進軍英國，按照這一模式，顧客可以免費拿走商品。

從明天開始，光臨倫敦中部“樣品趨勢”商店的顧客可以試用貨架上的所有物品，而且可以免費拿回家。

只需象徵性的每年交納60英鎊會員費，顧客就可以每月免費光臨一次商店，每年可以免費帶走250英鎊以內的貨品。

顧客唯一需要做的就是對試用的每樣商品填寫一份簡單的調查問卷。

這一概念被稱為“體驗式廣告”，可以讓生產商在公開發售產品之前進行測試，並收到消費者反饋。

這種方式在日本已經很流行，目前着眼於振興陷入困境的英國零售業。

根據最新數據，英國商店正面臨聖誕危機，商業街貿易額處於近半年以來的最低谷。

“樣品趨勢”的首創者邁克爾•戈什説：“‘樣品趨勢’的理念在英國很獨特。”

“它使顧客可以帶走很多自己選擇的貨真價實的、全尺寸的商品，而不用付一分錢。”

店內“體驗式廣告”的理念很簡單，但效果顯著。所有的商業部門，從化粧品製造商到飲料生產商，都把新產品放在了“樣品趨勢”商店的貨架上，供顧客挑選。

顧客隨後會針對該商品填寫一份簡短的滿分為10分的調查問卷，這些反饋會用於商品正式出售前的最後調整。“樣品趨勢”商店存有化粧品、食品、飲料、日用品等幾乎全部種類的商品。

迪斯尼歐洲的前廣告銷售總監戈什説，這樣的反饋機制也可以從最初就建立起品牌忠誠度，這一前景對新興商業來説非常有吸引力。