HP vows commitment to Malaysia with flagship experiential retail store

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HP has launched its experiential retail store HP Experience Hub (X-Hub) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the brand, it hopes to present a seamless online-to-offline (O2O) experiential retail experience for technology users. The physical store in Malaysia is also combined with an integrated O2O platform to create a hyper-personal and seamless omnichannel commerce journey across six key Southeast Asian countries, said HP.

In a statement to A+M , when asked why HP decided to launch a store as retail footfall still remains uncertain, a spokesperson said that the past 24 months have dramatically changed consumer behavior as they demand experiences that are hyper-personal, move freely between the digital and physical worlds and embrace a hybrid world of work and play. This demand for innovative experiences has created new opportunities for brands that can seamlessly bring online and offline worlds together.

“The modern commerce experience must simultaneously provide greater personal engagement for online customers, while also creating a richer more immersive engagement for offline customers,” the spokesperson added. The band added that the reality of the pandemic has meant that shopping behaviour has changed to a point unrecognisable to two years ago.

“We’re now at a stage where consumers want a personalised, immersive shopping experience both online and offline. At HP, we recognise that this hybrid shopping experience is a critical factor for customers to feel like the brand is listening to them and reacting to their needs. By creating the Experience Hub, we give our customers the information they need in whatever way they need it,” the statement added.

The brand added that Malaysia was chosen as its in the “forefront of modern retail shopping experiences”. It added that the Experience Hub is also a sign of its commitment and investment into the long-term potential of the Malaysia market which HP has identified as a key growth market. “There is also a great pool of talent here in KL with high quality diverse skills. Combined with the rich multicultural mindset here in Malaysia, this location is ideal for building the best-possible team to help the Experience Hub support the whole region. The X-Hub is both a marker and sign of things to come for Malaysia’s thriving and vibrant technology landscape,” the statement added.

The Experience Hub also unifies the retail experience across the Southeast Asia region with its store and connects to 82 online stores spread initially across Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore, with Thailand and Vietnam to follow in March. The flagship store has been created in partnership with tech retailer Thunder Match Technology, while the online experience is supported by regional online commerce partners Shopee and Lazada.

Customers at the physical store in Malaysia can also experience the interactive ‘Test Drive’ stations that mimic customer scenarios and activities by showcasing the full range of HP and partner technology. Visitors can also access personalisation services such as custom engraving and printing, plus connect to in-store or online HP Live Advisors for immediate product enquiries. Underpinning both the online and offline experience is an interactive content showcase and a virtual showroom to help consumers understand HP’s technology and service offerings.

David Tan, head of channels and supplies, Greater Asia, HP said, “We are on a mission to serve the customer segment of one, with the HP Experience Hub evolving the modern omnichannel commerce journey to be hyper-personal and seamless across all channels. The result is a consistent deeper online and offline engagement to excite customers, validate decisions, and provide reassurance, confidence and trust in HP technology.”

“Our partnership to create the HP Experience Hub is a major step in our ongoing goal to deliver seamless omnichannel features that create unique and engaging technology buying experiences for consumers,” said Eric Chan, sales and marketing director, Thunder Match. “The flagship HP retail store in Malaysia is a great example of our combined HP-Thunder Match commerce expertise in creating a truly immersive experience to meet the changing physical and digital needs of modern retail.”

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