By Retail Brew Staff
less than 3 min read
Definition:
First carved by marketers, now embraced by retailers, and consumers alike, “phygital” essentially denotes the ability to take a physical retail concept and elevate it using digital tools and technology otherwise more common to online shopping. The term—which is widely used in many industries including marketing, events, and even healthcare—is often considered central to drive user engagement, loyalty, and brand storytelling.
Origins of phygital
While many marketing firms would like to take credit for it, Australian agency Momentum—specifically CEO and founder Chris Wells—seems to be the brains behind the origin of the term, first coined around 2007. The agency also claimed the copyright for it in 2013 as it began to gain traction as a trend especially in marketing, retail, and customer experience circles. Some notable examples that maximize the “phygital” potential include cashier-less stores or kiosks like Amazon Go where shoppers simply scan an app or a QR code, grab the items, and walk out. Other examples include virtual fitting rooms used by many popular retailers today such as Zara and H&M or augmented reality (AR) try-ons. Buy online, pick up in store and curbside pick-ups (arranged via apps) that became popular after the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic can also be considered phygital experiences.
Phygital in context
In a 2022 article by Retail Brew, Michele Vakiener, account executive for sustainable green print production at Orara Visual, noted that “phygital” was one retail trend she was most excited about.
