HomeShop18 launches virtual shopping wall at IGI Airport

The initiative is similar to the Cannes-winning activation that was initiated in South Korea's subway stations by Tesco HomePlus.

Network18's e-commerce and home shopping brand HomeShop18, in association with Delhi International Airport (DIAL), has introduced a virtual shopping wall named 'Scan N Shop' at Terminal 3 (domestic side) of New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

According to HomeShop18, the passengers will get to browse through its entire range of products and order by scanning the QR code displayed against each item with their smartphones. Consumers can also order by calling at the call centre. An estimated 45,000 passengers depart daily from the T3 terminal of IGIA, each with time on their hands before boarding a flight.

Speaking to afaqs! about the idea behind this initiative, Sundeep Malhotra, founder and CEO, HomeShop18, says, "The objective behind Scan N Shop is to leverage our technology and retail experience to newer avenues of virtual commerce. The virtual shopping wall at T3 terminus will give passengers a new and unique shopping experience.. T3 is the apt location to launch the wall."

Notably, this initiative is similar to one initiated in South Korea's subway stations by Tesco HomePlus. Called the Homeplus Subway Virtual Store, the activity brought the store to the consumers. It recreated lifelike images of store aisles in subway stations. The interactive innovation allowed people to shop from the store simply by taking pictures of the products with their mobile phones. In 2011, this activity bagged the Cannes Lions Grand Prix in the Media category.

Commenting on whether this is a better option than doing outdoor hoardings for the brand, Malhotra says that it's not an apple to apple comparison. "An outdoor hoarding is just meant for advertising and display, while the virtual shopping wall works further. On one hand it will be another screen to HomeShop18's multi-screen format strategy for e-commerce, while on the other hand, it is a new business avenue of our m-commerce strategy and has the potential of being a unique revenue generation model for us," he adds.

Explaining the reasons behind partnering HomeShop18, I Prabhakara Rao, CEO, DIAL, says, "At Delhi's IGI Airport, our endeavour is to partner with the best brands, offer a wide range of products and a great experience to all the travellers. The virtual shopping wall is an addition to an eclectic list of innovations that Delhi airport already hosts."

The company also looks to extend the innovation in other geographies and locations. "An airport is just one place; this model is easily adaptable to other similar heavy footfall places having the right audience for this type of shopping model. This is a new initiative in India as well as for us; we are still at a nascent stage to comment on our plans for other cities. It's important for all of us to get traffic, and eventually orders, from the shopping wall. It's a strategic investment tailored to reach the tech-savvy, modern customers," says Malhotra.