North America’s first “virtual store” opens in Toronto … selling Tide

North America’s first “virtual” store has popped up near Union Station, giving commuters the opportunity to stock up on essentials like Tide using their cellphones.

Well.ca, a Canadian online health and beauty retailer, opened the store yesterday (April 2) on the lower level of Brookfield Place, at the corner of Front and Bay. The store contains no products — instead, two large images of packed shelves have been fixed to the walls. Shoppers in the market for products like diapers, detergent or toothpaste can download an app to their smartphone and then use their phone’s camera to scan a code next to the picture of the product they are interested in. Well.ca takes payment online then sends the goods to the shopper’s home, usually by the next day.

Shopping by cellphone has been successful in other parts of the world, notably South Korea, but this is the first virtual store to appear in North America.

Paige Malling, a spokesperson for Guelph-based Well.ca, said the location at Brookfield Place had been chosen because of the amount of commuters who pass through there every day. “It’s right by Union Station at the entrance to the PATH,” she said. “And it’s in a routunda-like space that really shows off the products.”

Malling expects the store to be popular with office workers who need to stock up on bulky stuff like household goods and Pampers, but don’t fancy struggling on a packed subway train with them (delivery is free).

But like all good pop-ups, this one wont be here for long — it will close on April 30.

Article exclusive to STREETS OF TORONTO