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| Shop.org SmartBrief |
| June 18, 2010 |
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Behind the scenes at Gilt Groupe
When Gilt
Groupe's members log on each day for the latest online sample sale bargains,
they are treated to professional-quality photos of fashion-forward designs
draped on runway models. Meanwhile, in a warehouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard,
photographers snap away from dawn to dusk inside seven bustling photo studios.
It's the photos that bring the looks to life and sell the clothing, says Gilt
Groupe co-founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. "None of this would happen if it was
done on a hanger." ABC News/The Associated Press (6/17)
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Retail chains aim to compete in e-commerce
Retailers are finding new ways to highlight their online stores as they
compete against pure-play Internet companies. Macy's has replaced cash registers
with sophisticated computers that allow consumers to place online orders for
merchandise that's out of stock, and J.C. Penney has added in-store kiosks that
let shoppers jump online while shopping. Los Angeles Times (6/18)
How to handle a bad review
Every business
gets bad reviews from time to time, writes Tom Leung, and with the spread of
social media it's essential that companies figure out in advance how they'll
respond. The key, Leung writes, is to listen well, acknowledge the problem and
take tangible real-world action to resolve customers' complaints. "Knowing what
your customers want is sometimes half the battle. But once you do, more times
than not the fix is a fairly easy one," he writes. Search Engine Land (6/14)
Report predicts huge growth for online sales
Goldman Sachs Group has issued a report that estimates a great amount of
growth for online sales, prompting e-commerce companies to invest heavily to
keep up with their competitors and demand. The firm predicts that online retail
will surpass bricks-and-mortar retail in the next decade. InternetRetailer.com (6/17)
Urban Outfitters' No. 1 rule of social
marketing 
Hip retail chain Urban
Outfitters has enthusiastically adopted social media marketing. Marketing
director Dmitri Siegel shares some of the company's social media rules, starting
with identifying and courting the online influencers, including street bloggers
likely to use -- and write about -- their products. Bazaarblog (6/17)
The power of Facebook's news feed
Facebook's popularity among teens means every company with a product to sell
to the younger set has a presence on the social media site. Effective Facebook
efforts mean clearing through the clutter with authentic content that engages
teens and begins the relationship-building process, writes Reggie
Bradford. MediaPost Communications/Engage: Teens blog (6/17)
12 tips for launching an online business
E-commerce startups have hurdles to clear in their effort to reach potential
customers. Online-marketing consultant Robin Neifield explains a dozen things
that online merchants should consider, starting with the business fundamentals.
Ensure the funding is in place, the partners are on board and the plan is solid
before taking the next steps. ClickZ (6/17)
New Google Commerce Search to speed online
shopping
Google has released an e-commerce tool it says will speed
online shopping for consumers and give retailers the flexibility to customize
online promotions on the fly. Google Commerce Search 2.0 will provide faster and
more relevant results to shoppers seeking specific products on the merchant's
website, Search Engine Watch reports. Search Engine Watch Blog (6/17)
Etsy offers small artists a place to grow sales
A growing number of small artists, designers and crafts creators -- 400,000
at the last count -- are discovering that they can build a following and bring
in sales by signing up to sell on Etsy. Rather than paying to set up their own
e-commerce sites, small players pay 20 cents to list each product and a 3.5%
commission on each sale. In return, they gain access to 39 million consumers who
shop the site. Telegraph (London) (6/17)
Featured Content
|
Are you nervous social media chatter will harm your
brand?
Retailers who opt out of participating in social forums may be
missing the boat when it comes to protecting brand image -- after all, if you're
not there to respond to the chatter, who will? See a list of tools you can use
to monitor your brand's online reputation from Desert Rose Design's Helen
Levinson. Read the recap. Blank (6/18)
Shop.org SmartStat: June 18, 2010 
One in 10 online Father's Day shoppers will buy a gift for a brother.
Source: NRF survey conducted by BIGresearch
Ice.com founder talks video and the consumer
experience
According to Pinny Gniwisch, founder of Ice.com, affordable,
accessible and valuable, online video inherently increases the value of the
online customer experience. During Shop.org's Online Merchandising Workshop in
Huntington Beach, Calif., July 12 to 14, Gniwisch will discuss using video,
affordably implementing the tool and managing expectations of an optimized
online video program. Learn more. Blank (6/18)
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