Retail app specialist Poq links with Zoot for retailer's E. Europe growth strategy

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 26, 2019

UK-based retail app specialist Poq has made its first move in Eastern Europe after signing a deal with Czech fashion retailer Zoot. It’s facilitating the retailer's first move into apps and comes as part of an aggressive, multichannel-based growth strategy that aims to build on Zoot’s status as one of the fastest-growing retail brands in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The retailer, which offers a wide variety of brands as well as its own labels, currently has 26 stores in its two local markets but is taking a deep dive into apps, for both Android and iOS, with the plan being to launch them later this year. 

Its online offer is currently limited to its website but that website has an interesting try-before-you-buy option where consumers can get items delivered to its stores, try them on straight away and then pay once they’ve decided what to keep.

Rolling that out to the new apps could help it reach new shoppers who like to do their fashion e-shopping via mobile.

And importantly, the app strategy should also help the brand expand further into other Eastern and Central European countries. Lukas Uhl, who was recently brought on board as Zoot’s CEO to drive the firm’s growth ambitions, said the Czech Republic and Slovakia will continue to be the focus, but with Romania also on the list of countries that it’s targeting with country-specific apps, after which it will “build from there.”

Poq is a software-as-a-service specialist and its other clients include Missguided, Holland & Barrett, Belk, PLT, the Cotton On Group and FeelUnique.