Before Apple Inc. took the personal electronics industry by storm, there were pods. No "i", just pods, or streamlined enclosures that could be used to display and promote merchandise. By the looks of it, these handy little units still have their place in today’s Web-infatuated retail world, including St. David’s Shopping Centre (St. David’s) in Cardiff, UK.
This past August, St. David’s installed four glass display pods in strategic locations within the property—the Working Street Mall (outside H. Samuel and Past Times), Town Wall North Mall (the link between St. David's & Queens Arcade), Cathedral Walk Mall (outside Phones 4U and Vision Express) and Main Mall (outside Debenhams and Marks & Spencer). The goal was to enable participating retailers to get some of their merchandise out of their stores and into common areas, in the hopes of catching the attention of browsing shoppers and enticing them to step into the stores. It didn’t take long for the pods to prove their worth.
After the first pod users reported higher footfall and sales increases of up to eight percent as a direct result of displaying their merchandise in the pods, other retailers rushed to get in the promotion line.
St. David’s said Build-A-Bear Workshop and Elvi were among the first to take advantage of the visual merchandising scheme.
"The pods were a fantastic opportunity to drive sales. We had customers coming in and specifically requesting and purchasing the complete bear we had placed in the pod," noted store manager, Lisa Davies, reporting a six-percent increase in sales in the first week alone.
Elvi enjoyed an eight-percent increase when it used one of the units.
"We used the pods to display three different outfits during the two weeks and we sold out of both the sale and new lines that were showcased in the pods," said Anne Jolley, manager at Elvi. " It was definitely worthwhile."
Given an investment of just £12,000 (€16,800), it’s no wonder that the centre’s director is now a pod believer.
"We're really encouraged by the results that are being reported," Steven Madeley said.
"The pods are designed to add value for our retailers and drive footfall. Retailers can use the pods with a branded banner and point-of-sale materials, and they can accommodate mannequins for clothing or can be adapted with shelves to display other items."
St. David’s has 442 Design out of Edinburgh to thank for the flexible design of the pods, which measure 2630mm x 840mm.
The pods have been so successful at St. David’s, as well as at East Kilbride Shopping Centre, that developer Land Securities has now decided to roll them out in several of its other centres.
The glass pods may not top the list of funkiest retail marketing tools around, but they are as effective in driving traffic and sales as the other ones—with an "i".

The Pod Club

These retailers have taken advantage of the display pod scheme at St. David’s Shopping Centre:
• Bhs
• Build-A-Bear Workshop
• Boots
• Elvi
• Global
• Jones Bootmaker
• Leia
• Marks & Spencer
• The Perfume Shop
• Republic
• Suits You
• Vodafone
• Wallis

Source: St. David’s Shopping Centre.