b8ta Launches New Stores in Santa Monica and Seattle, Bringing the Future of Retail to Two Major West Coast Metros

December 21, 2016 – Today b8ta, a software-powered retailer designed to make physical retail accessible for all, announces the opening of two new physical store locations in Santa Monica Place and Seattle’s University Village, both designed by leading international architecture firm Gensler.
 
The new stores are located in two of the most prestigious shopping centers in the country, and offer a unique retail experience for customers and product makers alike. Santa Monica has emerged as the “Silicon Beach,” home to a growing number of tech icons and startups, while Seattle has long been synonymous with tech stalwarts like Microsoft and Amazon.
 
b8ta’s flagship store opened in downtown Palo Alto, California in December 2015. The Seattle store opened on Thursday, December 15, 2016, while the permanent store in Santa Monica is set to open this year.
 
“b8ta exists to make retail accessible to entrepreneurs building the best products and services, not just the big companies that can afford it. With only eighty spaces in our Palo Alto store and hundreds of sign ups, we needed to find more space, and Seattle and Santa Monica were top locations that our makers were demanding. b8ta’s unique software-based approach to merchandising means every store has different products. b8ta is everything cookie-cutter retail is not. While most were designed to be efficient for picking up of things you already know about, b8ta was designed to help you discover products you probably haven’t seen before. No two b8ta stores are alike, and the assortment changes every month,” said Vibhu Norby, CEO and co-founder of b8ta.
 
Shoppers experience the latest tech products in a completely different way at b8ta—out of the box, hands-on, and set amongst Gensler’s signature, sleek design. Trained employees, known as “b8ta testers,” are on hand to educate shoppers on the store’s range of cutting-edge products like Teforia, Pearl Auto, TrackR, eero, and Pepper.
 
b8ta was the first U.S. retail location to debut Pepper, SoftBank Robotics’ humanoid robot, in August. During the weeklong installation, Pepper showcased its unique customer engagement capabilities, interacting with and entertaining customers. Earlier this month, Pepper came back to b8ta’s Holiday Store in Santa Monica to assist customers shopping for holiday gifts via b8ta’s curated holiday gift guide.  
 
In addition to helping shoppers discover new tech products, b8ta helps makers get their products into customers’ hands faster by expediting the process of getting into retail. This streamlined process, combined with a new experience that’s fueled by software, is paving the way for b8ta’s national expansion.
 
“We see some of the highest sales in retail and still maintain total brand control with less hassle and red tape.” said Chris Herbert, CEO, TrackR. While Doug Bieter, VP of Sales, eero, sees b8ta as a “flagship eero store—it’s where we first launched into physical retail. Thanks to b8ta, consumers can experience eero first hand"
 
Since opening its first brick-and-mortar retail location in Palo Alto, b8ta has worked with more than 100 partners, providing an alternative to traditional retail channels. Today’s expansion comes on the heels of securing $19.5M in equity and debt financing led by Khosla Ventures and TriplePoint Capital with participation from Fifth Wall Ventures, Eniac Ventures, Graphene Ventures, Comcast Ventures, as well as top national mall operator Macerich.
 
To learn more about b8ta, visit b8ta.com, or find a b8ta store near you at www.b8ta.com/locations.
 
About b8ta
b8ta, a software-powered retailer designed to make physical retail accessible for all, was founded in 2015 by Nest alums Vibhu Norby (CEO), William Mintun (COO), and Phillip Raub (CMO). b8ta helps people discover, try, and buy new tech products while empowering makers with a simple retail-as-a-service model that puts them in control. b8ta has locations in Palo Alto, Santa Monica, and Seattle. The company is headquartered in San Francisco.
 

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