Category Archives: Retail

PM Digital Releases Luxury & Designer Brands Online Study

Posted on October 25, 2010 by PM Digital Research

PM Digital’s latest Trend Report shows online sales leading the way for luxury and designer brands as they emerge from the challenging global economy.

According to the Trend Report: Luxury & Designer Brands Online – a study of 20 online fashion brands released by PM Digital based on Experian Hitwise data – until recently, luxury and designer brands were behind the curve in adding online stores, but that has changed as more and more find success online.

Key findings from the study reveal:
  • Four brands captured two-thirds of the online market share of visits: Coach (by a wide margin), Gucci, Juicy Couture and Burberry.
  • Search traffic, predominantly from Google, dominates referrals to luxury and designer retail sites. Interestingly, Facebook edged out Yahoo! search.
  • Traffic from social media sites to luxury and designer brand sites is growing, as brands such as Lacoste and Dolce & Gabbana link to their Facebook pages from their homepages.
  • A brand’s market share in social media popularity does not correlate with market share of site visits.
  • After search, visitors most often come from other retail sites. This is typical, indicating shoppers’ tendency to visit a variety of similar sites.
  • Email and social media traffic to luxury and designer brand sites is comparable, and both sources have recently experienced growth.
  • Kate Spade and Tory Burch have among the largest share of high income visitors.

The 2010 report is no longer available, although the 2011 report can be downloaded by clicking here.

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Sightings: Back to School 2010 Email and Catalog Promotions, Part 2

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Paradysz Research

Although the verdict is still out on how retailers will fare this back to school season, the promotions keep coming. Here is another batch of noteworthy marketing efforts from Juicy Couture, Lands’ End Kids, Hanna Andersson, Tea, Old Navy and Personal Creations. Like in the promotions we saw in Part 1, backpacks are a hot item for marketers targeting parents and kids alike.

Note: Click on any promotion graphic for a more complete view.

“The Backpack Headquarters” Catalog from Lands’ End Kids
Lands’ End Kids mailed a back to school book titled “The Backpack Headquarters.”  A $5 off all backpacks and lunch boxes discount is promoted on the cover, along with a free shipping incentive with no minimum order.  Inside, a table of contents grid features all the bags available in the FeatherLight ($29.50 – $39.50), ClassMate ($24.50 – $59.50), and MultiTask ($19.50 – $69.50) lines.  School uniforms are also promoted with a customized URL at landsend.com/school.  A free clip-on flashlight carabineer is promoted with any backpack or lunch box purchase.

Vitals: direct mail, delivered 7/14/10, 9½” x 6½”, 80 pages, free shipping on all orders, free carabineer with backpack or lunch box purchase

Email from Juicy Gets Girls Ready for Back to School
Juicy Couture recently emailed back to school promotions offering free shipping on orders over $100.  One email reads “Glee Club – Get your leggings in colors that make Juicy Girls HAPPY,” with a picture of three tween girls in Juicy T-shirts ($32) and Button-Ankle Leggings ($42).  Another email, sent a day later, is titled “Prep-School Pride – Argyle that’s too cool for school.”  A picture of The Argyle Backpack ($188) and a matching Argyle Lunch Box ($78) is promoted– note that prices are listed on the landing pages but not in the email itself.  Facebook and Twitter programs are promoted at the footer of each email.

Vitals: email, delivered 7/14/10 and 7/15/2010, free shipping on $100+ orders

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Sightings: Back to School 2010 Email and Catalog Promotions, Part 1

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Paradysz Research

For marketers, back to school shopping season can be big business. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting promotions we’ve come across this summer from Land of Nod, One Step Ahead & Leaps and Bounds, Justice, Loserkids, PBteen, and Pottery Barn Kids. As usual, retailers heavily promoted backpacks and school gear, with discounts and free shipping common incentives.

Note: Click on any promotion graphic for a more complete view.

Land of Nod Catalog and Email Says Back to School is in Session
Children’s furniture and toy specialist Land of Nod recently mailed its “Core Curriculum” catalog with a collection of items for back to school and a bind-in titled “Is That Gum in Your Mouth?” The eight page bind-in features products such as the Academic Animal Backpacks ($20), Wooden Puzzles ($10 – $14), and the I can See Clearly Now Desk Mat ($29). A clever rebus-like email followed with a storybook theme. Entitled “Chapter 1: Waking Up is Hard to Do,” the message tells the story of Jacob on the first day of school, highlighting a number of essential products. Images of featured items are dispersed throughout the story, including an Alarm Clock ($24.95), Flashcards ($14.95), and a Cereal Bowl ($16.95). A teaser at the end of the message reads “Coming Up—Chapter II: Let’s Do Lunch,” followed with a link to shop the back to school collection. The email also promotes backpacks.

Vitals: direct mail delivered 7/16/10, 10½” x 8″, 80 pages; email delivered 7/20/10

One Step Ahead & Leaps and Bounds Outfit the Littlest Back to Schoolers
Even baby specialist One Step Ahead and Leaps and Bounds, which offers products for very young children, is in the back to school groove. A coordinated email and catalog campaign targets parents interested in a stress-free school year for their youngest students. Both the Summer 2010 Preferred Customer Issue print catalog and corresponding email focused on organizational gear, specifically its exclusive My First Backpack ($24.95) and insulated Lunch Bag ($16.95) set. The backpack is designed for “beginners,” as even daycare students will find it “rugged and rummage proof.” Both channels promote free shipping on orders greater than $85, while the email adds a free pair of Zori sandals with $75+ purchase. Merchandise from One Step Ahead (age 0-3) and Leaps and Bounds (age 3+) range from nursery items, clothing and safety products to toys.

Vitals: direct mail, delivered 7/14/10, 10½” x 7¾”, 56 pages, free shipping on $85+ online orders; email delivered 7/15/10, Zori sandal premium with $75+ orders & free shipping on $85+ orders

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Sightings: Promotions for “Christmas in July” 2010

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Paradysz Research

Given the warm weather, holidays and summer vacations, it’s not surprising that consumers can be harder to engage in the summer months, particularly early July which is one of the most lightly promoted times of year per our MarketRelevance tracking.  To combat this sluggishness, marketers have tried a variety of tactics to captivate summertime buyers over the years. One of the most popular themes is “Christmas in July, ” which has been used by advertisers as an attention-getting oxymoron since the 1950s.  The tradition continues today, as marketers promote limited-time sales, preview new merchandise and urge preparedness for year-end holiday gift giving.  With the advent of email and the relatively inexpensive and timely messaging online formats afford, we have seen a wider variety of “Christmas in July” variations in recent years.

Note: Click on any promotion graphic for a more complete view.

ShopElvis.com Email Series Celebrates 12 Days of Christmas in July

Elvis Presley Enterprises via ShopElvis.com counted through the first days of July using a limited time sale in order to spark a sense of urgency for holiday shoppers. While a sample email subject like “12 Days of Christmas in July – Today – Save 25% on Holiday Ornaments” illustrates how ShopElvis.com used discounts to lure summertime shoppers, we suspect the true hook remains the unusual merchandise itself, ranging from a gold Elvis 70’s Sunglasses Ornament ($5.99) to an Elvis Vegas Show Stocking ($17.24).  Each day of the email series concentrated on different categories of merchandise, like t-shirts, posters, signs, ornaments, and the discounts varied. For example, an email promoting “Save 20% on All T-Shirts!” was delivered 6/30/10 and “Save 15% on All Posters and Signs!” followed 7/7/10. In addition to the selected discounted items, the emails gave buyers a chance to pre-order the Elvis on Tour DVD ($19.97), How Great Thou Art FTD CD ($19.97) and get a first look at new merchandise. The emails also did a good job of keeping shoppers excited about the sale, as each set up the following day’s discount (e.g. “Tomorrow’s July 2nd Special:  Save 15% on Graceland Merchandise.”)

Vitals: email, delivered 7/1/10

Terry’s Village Catalog Offers Exclusive First Look

As it has for several years now, Oriental Trading Company’s home decor offering Terry’s Village is one of the first each year to focus on colder weather celebrations, moving directly from summer merchandise to holiday. Presenting “Fall’s Best, our Halloween Favorites & a Holiday Sneak Peek,” this catalog presents shoppers with all the trimmings required in the next few months:  pumpkins, witches, wreathes, snowmen, angels, pine trees, and ornaments ($7.99 – $39.99). An additional incentive is used here on top of the free shipping the merchant typically offers with $49+ orders. Here, $49+ buyers by 7/29/10 get free shipping and 15% off.

Vitals: direct mail, delivered 7/9/10, 10″ x 8″, 60 pages, free shipping and 15% off $49+ orders

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