Okonkwo Prelims

Interestingly, private luxury e-retailers such as Yoox.com and Net-A-

Porter.com have implemented e-merchandizing techniques that are more feasi-

ble than those of the majority of luxury brands. Yoox.com enhances usability

through an excellent product presentation featuring multiple view options of a

single product mostly on a human mannequin. The website has other interac-

tive tools like icons showcasing the previously viewed products, on the same

page, a choice to view related items and save preferred products and viral

marketing options. This gives a sense of shopping assistance and compensates

for the lack of human presence online. There is also a viral marketing option

tool that enables forwarding web pages to others. Yoox.com also shows

customers the front and back view of products like apparel. This feature boosts

the shopping experience through enhanced functionality and atmosphere.

Another fashion apparel e-retailer with impressive e-merchandizing and

interactive tactics is US casual wear brand, Lands’ End. Landsend.com

enhances online customer interactivity through a virtual model called, ‘My

Virtual Model™’. The model can be customized by online customers accord-

ing to their height, weight and size dimensions and other features like facial

characteristics, skin tone, hair style and hair colour. The customized Virtual

Model wears and displays the outfits selected by the customer. The clothes

can also be viewed on the model from a 360° angle point. The customized

model can be stored for

future visits and can also

be forwarded through

an e-mail form. This

interactive feature signif-

icantly boosts the online

customer experience and

leads to memory recall,

repeat visits and eventu-

ally customer loyalty.

222

luxury fashion branding

Figure 6.23 Yoox.com’s

interactive and multiple

product view presentation

and online CRM enhances

the web shopping

experience through

boosting usability and

atmosphere and

compensating for

the absence of a human

presence.

The features also

contribute to effective

e-merchandizing (August

2006)