There’s a US start-up that actually thinks it can revive brick-and-mortar retail — here’s how
b8ta, a tech retailer, wants to get consumers excited about retail by letting them try gadgets before they buy
By Deborah Findling
Amid the carnage in brick-and-mortar retail and a juggernaut called Amazon that’s humbling its competition online, one technology start-up has come up with a motto: “Retail isn’t dead, it needs a revival.”
Enter software-powered retailer b8ta, which sells tech products that don’t have an offline retail footprint of their own. b8ta gives a leg up to small technology makers who might not be able to break into big stores, and lets customers test gadgets like smart locks, high-tech skateboards, and connected stove monitors in physical locations.
In the process, b8ta hopes to generate excitement about shopping in traditional retail stores again, and giving unknown brands more exposure.
b8ta was founded in 2015 by Nest alums Vighu Norby, William Mintun and Phillip Raub, and has outlets in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Seattle, and Austin, among others. Since launching in December 2015, the company has opened 11 overall locations around the US.
According to Norby, b8ta’s CEO and founder, the company is trying to alleviate a modern conundrum: Ordering a product and having to pony up the money immediately, without knowing if it does what it claims.