There is a huge range of Internet of Things (IoT) devices currently available on the market — from fitness trackers and connected scales to smartwatches and smart home devices. Choosing an ideal connected device can prove extremely difficult when shopping online. But for those who live in Palo Alto, CA, this dilemma may already have a solution.

Four Nest Labs, Inc. alumni (Vibhu Norby, Phillip Raub, William Mintun and Nick Mann) have come up with a new startup called b8ta, which is a physical retail store that specifically caters to IoT products.

Kicking off December 11 at 5 PM, interested consumers can head to b8ta where around 70 IoT devices will be on display for visitors to try out. Some of the products include drones, security cameras, virtual reality goggles, smart toys and many others, which have all been tried by b8ta employee, who will be on hand to assist with product demos.

Let’s get physical!

It’s an interesting move, especially now that more people prefer to shop online. According to Vibhu Norby, CEO and cofounder of b8ta, when he worked at Nest, he saw the huge impact of selling in physical stores and said a huge chunk of the product’s sales can be largely attributed to it.

Think of it as a Retail-as-a-Service store that aims to entice consumers to purchase products that they try in-store. Compare that to buying online only to have a device show up with confusing instructions and no immediate help to get it up and running.

“There are thousands of new physical products coming out, but they never touch the shelves of stores,” Norby said. “I kept hearing the same problems over and over again: It’s too hard and expensive.”

A startup’s ally

Startups can benefit from selling their items at b8ta, as Norby explained that instead of taking a cut from every item sold in its store, startups will only have to pay the space they take up in a store. Another benefit is that b8ta gathers information regarding foot traffic and tell the startups whether consumers are interested in their products or not. This allows startups to experiment with sales and see which marketing strategy works.

No news yet if there are plans to open other branches of b8ta.

So, for those in Palo Alto looking for connected devices, drop by the b8ta store located a 516 Bryant St. to see what IoT products are out on display and available for demo. Store hours this holiday season are: Dec. 11 5 PM-8 PM, Dec. 12 10 AM-8 PM, Dec. 13 11 AM-8 PM, Monday–Thursday 10 AM-8 PM, Friday and Saturday 10 AM-8 PM, and Sunday 11 AM-8 PM.

Image source: B8ta