Japan: Crocs pop-up shop takes flight with help of helicopter drones delivering shoes
By Adam Justice
Shoemaker Crocs showed off a possible future alternative to heading out to its store as it experimented with helicopter drones as a delivery option at a pop-up store on 5 March.
Shoppers were able to select a pair of shoes on an iPad screen and by touching a “take off” button, they prompted the drone to begin its delivery journey.
The drone then proceeded to hover over the shoes before attempting – with the help of a magnet – to grab hold of a pair and carry them back to a waiting basket ready for the customer to collect.
While not every pair made it successfully into shoppers’ baskets immediately, some anxious customers did manage to see their shoes delivered.
The drones have been specially adapted from commercially available products for the temporary store, which will be open until 8 March.
Morrie Fujita, vice president and general manager for Crocs Japan, said there were not any plans to use the drones in the long term.
Whilst most drones kept missing their targets and, in one case, flying off haphazardly into the crowd, it was – if nothing else – an adventurous shopping experience.
