Coming to a BART Station Near You: Blinq Launches Innovative New Ecosystem With Unique Amenities and Shopping Experiences for Bay Area Commuters

Blinq Pods Now Open at Embarcadero and Montgomery Street Stations

News provided by

Nov 09, 2015, 05:09 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Blinq, an online to offline ecosystem that provides exclusive offers and unique amenities for people traveling throughout the Bay Area, today announced the arrival of Blinq pods to the concourse level of Montgomery and Embarcadero BART stations, as well as a companion app for iOS, both part of the Blinq pilot program. The pods will host a rotating selection of pop up shops and happenings that help people take care of errands, discover new products and unearth cultural finds--all during the course of their daily commute.

For the pilot program, Blinq has partnered with several outstanding local businesses: EO Products, a Marin County-based manufacturer of natural personal care essentials; Greener Cleaners, an eco-friendly dry cleaning service; and Grubmarket, a purveyor organic farm-to-table foods. These partnerships are just the start of a larger movement to elevate the commuter experience.

"Blinq offers people a way to take back five minutes of their day with convenient, creative and enriching amenities and services from a mix of global and local companies," said CEO of Blinq Alexis Wong. "Our network of interconnected pods is accessible to millions of people, who can use the app to take care of everyday needs or discover local happenings. We think this combination of experiences, shopping, and community is the future of the metro hub."

Currently in beta, the Blinq mobile app provides a way for people to get notified about exclusive offers and giveaways, as well as browse items available in the pods. In its next iterations, the app will add several key features, including the ability to pre-order meals and products; information on travel times, local events and charitable opportunities; and a loyalty program that ties the whole Blinq experience together.

Blinq aims to serve both people and businesses. Blinq for People helps commuters reclaim time lost while in transit by letting them take care of errands like grocery shopping and laundry, discover cultural finds like concerts and pop-up museum exhibits, and purchase exclusive products from Blinq partners. Blinq for Brands offers companies a way to create a unique, meaningful and measurable connection with fans. With Blinq, brands get exclusive access to an average of half a million riders per day.

"At EO we're focused on enhancing the quality of everyday life, so it's a great fit for us to partner with blinq and be a part of their efforts to revitalize the Bay Area's public transit experience," said EO Products Co-Founder Susan Griffin-Black. "By having our natural hand sanitizer at the pods, we hope to bring a refreshing moment of sanity to the daily commute."

Blinq for People delivers:

Curated Retail: Blinq's curated retail experience lets transit riders check things off their to do list and discover new brands and experiences--all while they wait to catch their next train.
Local Exploration: The Blinq mobile app serves up custom-tailored selection of local products and events that commuters can browse enroute to their destination.
Rewards: The mobile app offers exclusive promotions and giveaways from Blinq partners, such as discounts from our partners, as well as opportunities to win free products and services. Every interaction within the Blinq ecosystem will be an occasion to earn rewards.

Blinq for Brands delivers:

Exclusive Access: Blinq is the only company authorized to operate shops, services and loyalty programs in BART concourses, and is able to give brands unprecedented access to the most predictable traffic in the Bay Area.
Customizable Activations: Blinq has a variety of activation opportunities to suit every business--big or small. Choose anything from sample giveaways to a pod rental.
Measurable Results: Within the Blinq ecosystem, brands get full transparency on which activations perform best with their audience.

In 2016, blinq will open pods in five more BART stations: Civic Center, Powell, 12th St. Oakland City Center, 19th St. Oakland, and Downtown Berkeley. Blinq plans to expand in all 44 stations with pods, custom vending machines or a combination of both.

In this pilot program, Blinq will be testing its multiple services and gathering community feedback on how it can best serve the Bay Area. Blinq will roll-out several additional features and services in 2016, including new pod designs; concierge services at pods for picking up items ordered via the mobile app; pop-up museum exhibits and live performances; and interactive touchscreens providing transit info, news and demos.

About Blinq

Blinq is an online to offline retail ecosystem providing commuters with unique brand experiences and concierge services across the BART network. The blinq mobile app and the blinq pods--located at the concourse level of BART metro stations--will host a rotating selection of pop up shops, local events and exclusive happenings that help people take care of errands, discover new products and unearth cultural finds. All during the course of their daily commute. For more information, please visit us at www.getblinq.com.

SOURCE Blinq