Online Retailer: Taking Stock of eCommerce Success
As we enter online retail's golden age, we take stock and highlight three innovative ecommerce business that we believe highlight some of the industry's best qualities
Posted by Killian McAleese, 18th November 2011
We're approaching the golden age for the online retailer. While there has been some tension as to how ecommerce is affecting the high street, it's high time to take stock and consider some of the innovative etailing businesses out there who are making a positive contribution to society, providing oases of growth in a gloomy economy and showing us new ideas and interesting new ways to do business.
And seeing as we love the Friday hash-tag (#ff) on Twitter so much, we thought we'd take it a small step further and use this pleasant day to point you towards a few online and multichannel retailers whose ecommerce sites we noticed recently.
A plethora of online retail businesses have been highlighted in the wake of announcements of finalists and winners in the likes of the Oracle Retail Week Awards, IMRG eCommerce Awards for Excellence and the related publication of lists of industry influencers like Retail Systems' top 100 multichannel Movers and Shakers and Retail Week's Power List of 50 etail industry figures.
Three Online Retailers to Think About
As a retail and ecommerce consultancy, we're always scouring the internet for best practices in design, marketing, customer engagement, use of channels, interesting offerings and site features.
So we'd like to highlight a few business whose ecommerce operations, not mentioned in the above lists and awards, are demonstrating ideas, innovation and quality in abundance.
Lazy Oaf
Running an ecommerce site on the osCommerce platform designed by Manchester's Vanilla Storm, Lazy Oaf is a “pop graphic, print focused illustration label bringing you arrays of new clothing, accessories and stationery.” What initially struck us about this online retailer was the success in conveying their strong design focus and its character through their online ecommerce presence.
But story of the East London based creative label also represents the growth and innovation often associated with ecommerce. Lazy Oaf started as a London market stall in 2001 and now operates through an online store and a store in Soho, selling stock both designed in-house and sourced from Japan and the US.
Breo
We recently reviewed watch and accessory designer Breo's online presence in oureCommerce Consultant series. Like Lazy Oaf, Breo's strong design focus is carried through successfully to their ecommerce site. The business employed Dundee's MTC Media for their web-store design.
Breo recently picked up several awards and is braced for high growth in 2012. Initially selling their products mainly through on-board duty-free airline sales, Breo's distinctive watches, headphone and accessories now move through the site, a busy Facebook store, and number resellers like Asos.com and John Lewis.
People Tree
The drive behind People Tree is to align the beauty of their products with beautiful changes in the world. And to this end the business is committed to ethical manufacture and trading of all their goods. Working closely with 50 Fair Trade groups in fifteen countries, People Tree's mission is to bring benefits to people and the environment in as many steps of their business processes as possible. One of People Tree's corollary aims is to set an example as a business and demonstrate and promote their sustainable business model. CEO Safia Minney's blog provides a strong flavour of what the business is about and highlights many of the social issues the business is concerned with addressing
Tell us what you think of these online retailers. Are there any other interesting and distinctive ecommerce businesses out there you've seen recently.
Tell us about them!
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