Best Stores of the Ecommerce Web: Apparel & Accessories

[mandy]

Shop for a toaster online today and any savvy site will have specs and pictures at the ready to help one decide without ever setting foot in a store. Buy a coat, however, or a handbag or pair of shoes, and the gap between being there and having to depend on the product information offered on a computer screen can loom large.

This year’s category winners in apparel & accessories succeed by bridging that divide and, in fact, giving online shoppers something beyond what they’d get in a store. Among them are retailers leading the way in the use of new applications that leverage the web’s unique properties to expand on the customer experience...

But launching out-there applications that enchant shoppers isn’t the only way that the category leaders win online. As others demonstrate, oftentimes the tool that delivers the best results is an ear tuned closely to the customer. Talbots, for instance, is becoming an online powerhouse with the help of merchandising features such as shop by outfit, new at Talbot’s, and live chat—a method to build on the personal kind of service customers seek in Talbots stores...

full article: http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=20662

[BellisimaJ.]

Bolding is mine.

For example, a web-enabled installation at Polo Ralph Lauren’s flagship Madison Avenue store this summer gave “window shopping” a whole new meaning with a touch-sensitive store window featuring tennis wear that enabled passers-by to shop from outside the store by simply tapping on the window glass.

I noticed that more and more fashion-oriented ecomm sites are using this method on their home pages to give the consumer a quick look at the array of merchandise that they offer.
I like this feature-----it enables me to make a quick decision as to whether I am interested in exploring the merchant's offerings further.
Most of these sites seem to use the big no-no, Flash. But I suppose a slide show, sans flash, might be just as effective.

Talbots, for instance, is becoming an online powerhouse with the help of merchandising features such as shop by outfit, new at Talbot’s, and live chat—a method to build on the personal kind of service customers seek in Talbots stores.

Shop by outfit is a great idea----it mimics what we accomplish with merchandising in b&m stores.
I think this could be effective even on sites that sell accessories. For example, in selling a necklace, show an image or illustration of a person wearing the necklace with an outfit, or even just laid on a scarf. More expensive to create this look, but probably worthwhile.
RE: LIVE CHAT  A pet peeve of mine. :
If you use  Live CHat on your site, please turn it on for a majority of the time----at least during normal shopping hours.
It makes little sense to put it up on your site and not make it actually available to consumers.
In my case, I have clicked off more than one site where it was there, but no one was available----very frustrating.

Zappos.com marches to the lead in the shoe space online with a strategy that skips wow-factor bells and whistles in favor of site improvements driven almost entirely by customer comments.

Seems that this could be an excellent strategy, although the merchant must be savvy enough to understand what will work and what is not reasonable/profitable for their particular market.

“Famous Footwear now has a vocabulary in its site search that matches that of the consumer, and that’s extremely beneficial.”

Seems simple, but isn't always. Very smart move.

In the top navigation bar on each page, for instance, it offers a customer service link that offers three varieties of live chat—with a customer service rep, a beauty specialist or a designer specialist—as well as a toll-free number and additional links to information on order status, gift cards and payment options.

Nordstrom's has always been known for it's fabulous customer service. It is one of my favorite stores, on and offline, in large part because of that. Their merchandise is to my liking as well, however, I could probably find the same stuff at Bloomie's, Sak's, etc. I prefer Nordstrom's because the company culture celebrates the consumer.
An example: Some months ago, I purchased several cosmetic items online at Nordstrom's. When I received them, I decided I didn't care for the color of the lipstick I had ordered. I set it aside, intending to return it.
Three months or so later, it still sat there.       When I finally noticed it again, I sealed it back in the box, slapped on the pre-paid return label, and sent it off.
Within a week, I had received a credit to my account and a discount offer on my next purchase.
VERY savvy return policy, and they are always consistent in this area.

Unlike many retailers whose home pages focus mostly on pricing offers, she adds, Nordstrom blends price with content—like peeks into its Designer Collections boutiques and a section on gift-wrapping.

I prefer content to pricing offers on home pages. This may not work for some products/retailers, but in the fashion industry, it is more effective, IMO.

At Ralph Lauren’s Polo.com, shoppers find content ranging from videos on golfing tips from pro Davis Love III to pages of photographs and text that advise on how to wear skirts in the latest fashionable outfits.

“Our site embraces the concept of ‘merchantainment,’ where customers can browse our products, get style advice and experience our exclusive editorial and imaging content,” says Sarah Gallagher, president of Polo.com. “We leverage the limitless space that the Internet offers to provide an experience to our customers that can only be done online.”

Relevant content, relevant content, relevant content.


                    :hoxmassnow11: :hoxmassnow11: :hoxmassnow11: :hoxmassnow11:

[bargainbloodhound]

RE: LIVE CHAT  A pet peeve of mine. Roll Eyes
If you use  Live CHat on your site, please turn it on for a majority of the time----at least during normal shopping hours.

If you use live chat on your site please stay out of my face while I'm browsing.    If I need assistance I'll click on the live chat link, otherwise leave me alone. 

I prefer content to pricing offers on home pages. This may not work for some products/retailers, but in the fashion industry, it is more effective, IMO.

The one thing I hate is when people write a novel on their store's home page and don't show any products.  This is most prevalent among eBay sellers starting their first website who seem to think their store home page is the same thing as their eBay about me page. A good example is the site alanascherishedtreasures.com.  99% of Internet shoppers are not going to read through all of that garbage.  I'd shop at a store in balli [sic] before I'd sit there and read all of that crap...    I'm an impatient shopper. Just make it easy for me to find the products and buy them quickly and I'm happy.

strategy that skips wow-factor bells and whistles in favor of site improvements driven almost entirely by customer comments.

Usability is always more likely to win me over as a buyer than wow-factor.

[BellisimaJ.]

The one thing I hate is when people write a novel on their store's home page and don't show any products.  This is most prevalent among eBay sellers starting their first website who seem to think their store home page is the same thing as their eBay about me page. A good example is the site alanascherishedtreasures.com.  99% of Internet shoppers are not going to read through all of that garbage.  I'd shop at a store in balli [sic] before I'd sit there and read all of that crap...  BangHead  I'm an impatient shopper. Just make it easy for me to find the products and buy them quickly and I'm happy

[DecorativeDishes]

I just bought my last gift on Spiegel.com. Smooth as silk-- easy shopping and a 20% off e-mail offer. Kim 

[chiquita]

I don't know if sierratradingpost.com made the list, but I have always been happy with my purchases. My most recent purchase was on a Monday, and I had the items on Wednesday. Much faster than the order I placed with llbean.com which took a week.