Blue Nile, the Seattle-based online jewelry retailer, is bringing its first “Webroom” to Tysons Corner Center this summer. While most of Blue Nile’s retail business is conducted online, the brand’s Webrooms allow consumers to see the jewelry in person.
According to a press release announcing the new DC Webroom, Blue Nile’s first Webroom in New York increased sales in the market, giving the company an incentive to open more Webrooms around the country. The second Webroom is planned for White Plains, New York, by early summer, while the third Webroom planned for DC is slated to open mid-summer 2016.
“With its tech-savvy, early adopter residents, the Washington, DC area is a strong market for Blue Nile and an ideal location for our third Webroom,” said Blue Nile chief merchandising officer Julie Yoakum in a press release.
The Webrooms are designed to be efficient, with low overhead and a small footprint–an in-person extension of the online shopping experience. The in-store purchases at a Webroom are still processed online via tablets, but the Webroom functions as a showroom so customers don’t have to make their decisions solely based on the photos, videos, and information available on Blue Nile’s website.
“The Webroom is on the other end of the spectrum from traditional jewelry stores, in terms of both physical look and shopping experience,” said Yoakum in the press release. “We’re going to shock some people–in a good way.”
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
