Dive Brief:

• Birchbox, a four-year-old cyber company that has found success selling beauty products online, will open its first physical store in New York’s Soho shopping district this spring.

• The path is similar to retail web sensations like eyeglass purveyor Warby Parker, which have sought to maximize their retail brands with physical stores.

• The store, like the successful pop-ups it has set up briefly throughout the New York City area, will aim to provide customers with opportunities to try merchandise, get advice and personalized services, and design their own packages of products.

Dive Insight:

Web-only retailers may be the best ones to teach other retail companies the importance of brick-and-mortar stores and how to leverage them. Like Warby Parker and Apple, Birchbox clearly sees the importance of a physical store to interact with customers, providing stellar personal experiences that enhance its brand. RadioShack, with its new concept stores, and Best Buy are amongst other companies that have recently seen the light: Physical stores are essential, but only if they can be transformed into places where people want to go.