Brickwork

High-Level Overview

Brickwork is a SaaS technology company that builds a platform bridging online and in-store retail experiences, enabling brands to drive foot traffic through geo-targeted store pages, appointment booking, event RSVPs, and customer journey analytics.[1][2] It serves major retailers like Nike, Saks Fifth Avenue, Chanel, Williams Sonoma, and Bonobos, solving the problem of fragmented omnichannel retail where over 80% of customers research online but 90% of sales happen in physical stores.[1][2][4] Founded in 2013 in New York City with around 11-50 employees and $10.5 million in revenue, Brickwork was acquired by b8ta (later shuttered some locations) and then by Seattle-based DevHub in 2021, enhancing DevHub's offerings for multi-location brands.[2][3][4]

Origin Story

Brickwork was founded in 2013 in New York City by a team with deep expertise in omnichannel marketing and e-commerce for top retailers.[2] The idea emerged from recognizing retail's digital shift: consumers start paths to purchase online but complete them in stores, prompting the need for a scalable SaaS to unify these experiences.[1][2] Early traction built quickly, positioning it as a leader within three years for brands modernizing brick-and-mortar via digital tools; it secured backing from investors like Advancit Capital, Forerunner Ventures, and Cowboy Ventures.[1][2] Key pivots included a prior acquisition by b8ta (retail-as-a-service) before DevHub's 2021 buyout, which integrated Brickwork's tech into a broader data experience platform.[4]

Core Differentiators

• Seamless Online-to-Store Bridge: First scalable SaaS for immersive store pages and widgets embedded in e-commerce sites, featuring geo-location, appointment booking, events, promotions, and stylist matching to convert digital browsers into in-store visitors.[1][2][4]
• Customer Insights and Analytics: Delivers comprehensive data maps of digital-to-store journeys, helping retailers optimize profitability and customer-centric experiences beyond vague omnichannel hype.[1]
• Proven Brand Adoption and Scalability: Powers experiences for global leaders like Nike and Chanel; post-DevHub acquisition, adds conversion actions to a platform with CRM/e-commerce integrations for multi-location brands.[4]
• Ease of Integration: Embeddable tools focus on pre-visit preparation, enhancing developer and retailer workflows without heavy custom builds.[1][5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Brickwork rides the omnichannel retail trend, capitalizing on the digital consumer journey where online research dominates pre-store visits amid e-commerce growth and post-pandemic hybrid shopping.[1][2] Timing aligns with retailers' push to revive physical stores via tech, as 90% of sales remain in-person despite online starts, amplified by geo-targeting and personalization demands.[2][4] Market forces like rising CRM/e-commerce integrations favor it, especially via DevHub's expansion into full-funnel retail platforms from SEO to transactions.[4] It influences the ecosystem by enabling data-driven modernization for brick-and-mortar, reducing pure e-commerce reliance and powering scalable experiences for multi-location brands.[1][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

DevHub-powered Brickwork is poised to expand as the definitive platform for multi-location retail, integrating deeper with CRMs and e-commerce for end-to-end journeys from search to sale.[4] Trends like AI-driven personalization, AR store previews, and sustained hybrid retail will shape it, especially as economic pressures push profitability through in-store conversions.[1][2] Its influence may grow via direct brand relationships post-acquisition, name-dropping capabilities, and ecosystem dominance in pre-visit tech, solidifying its role in retail's digital evolution from a niche bridge to a core infrastructure layer.[4] This positions Brickwork as a quiet powerhouse saving brick-and-mortar's future through online doors.[1]