In today’s Internet Retailing newsletter, we report on what UK retailers are doing to ensure that customers opt to buy from them, rather than the competition. Both Ocado and Carpetright have results out today, and both report that the customer experience is vital to them in differentiating their service from that of their retailers. For both, online and mobile help to make that distinct difference, while a convenient and easy experience across those channels – and, for Carpetright, the store, seal the deal. Meanwhile, House of Fraser says it is to open its first full-scale store in seven years as part of a multichannel strategy that, again, prioritises ease and convenience.
Today we also have two timely stories on payments. Computop says UK retailers will soon find it easier to offer payment in bitcoin after it struck a partnership with Bitnet to introduce the digital currency to its platform. Today’s guest comment, from Tobias Schreyer of The PPRO Group, suggests that retailers ignore payment innovations at their peril.
Finally, now’s the time to start planning for Christmas, according to eBay Enterprise, which has some advice for retailers looking to do just that.
Our webinars
The next Internet Retailing webinar will be on July 1, when Rick Barbari of Digital River World Payments will join us to discuss how best to make websites attractive to cross-border shoppers. Digital River: how to optimise your ecommerce site for the cross-border consumer is at 2.30pm that day – find out more and register here.
Jim Davidson, head of research at Bronto Software, returns for his third webinar with Internet Retailing on July 2. He’ll consider what retailers can learn from the two ‘moments of truth’ when shoppers may drop out of the purchasing process – and how retailers can win them back. He’ll also unveil the findings of Bronto research into a shopping cart and product page audit that spans more than 100 retailers. Revenue rescue: saving sales when shoppers stray is at 2pm on July 2. Find out more and register for the free webinar here.
Click to visit the Internet Retailing webinars page to catch up on any that you may have missed.
The Internet Retailing Awards
The Internet Retailing Retailing Awards will be held on September 24 at the Mandarin Oriental, London. Nominations are now open – click here to nominate your own company or one whose work you admire, and tickets are now available to buy.
Our research reports
Our research editors research and produce regular reports on pertinent ecommerce issues. The latest, on Conversion Rate Optimisation, comes from Liz Morrell who explains here why this is a must-read report. Click on the links too to download your free copies of the Seasonal Commerce Report and Customer Experience Report.
