Presentation to the London College of Fashion: "Those in the business of fashion are well aware of the tension between fashion-forward and trend-setting design and the commercial imperatives of retailing. In this session Ian Jindal will examine some emerging trends in the behaviour and expectations of online customers and consider the implications for fashion retail, the creative process and developing new services. eCommerce has brought about a fundamental shift in the balance of power between creator and consumer, and the ability to measure behaviour, attitudes and even the attention span of customers creates new opportunities not available to traditional retail."

1. quot;Customer perspectives and behaviours online: considerations for fashion (r)etailingquot;
London College of Fashion
February 2009
www.ianjindal.com
www.internetretailing.net
Thursday, 26 February 2009

2. quot;Customer perspectives and
behaviours online:
considerations for fashion
(r)etailingquot;
1.Context
2.No middle in eCommerce
3.People not technology
- Social
- VRM
4.Magic - in passing only
5.2009?
Thursday, 26 February 2009

3. 1. Context
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4. 1. Context
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5. 1. Christmas
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6. 1. Christmas
• Boxing day busiest of year (down 5%
• £4.7bn online over Christmas: 14% YOY
YOY)
• November - highest YOY of 26%
• John Lewis Christmas day traffic - twelve
• Growth is slowing in ecommerce but still times higher than 2007
above offline
• PC World, Currys, Dixons - 30-40%
• eCommerce - 16% for H2 (IMRG)
increase (mainly large TVs)
• Offline - 0% for H2 (source: ONS)
• Christmas Day: 3.8m (14% down), but
sales 21% higher at £102m.
• Customers bargain-hunting
• Pre-Christmas sales and January started
immediately after last posting date!
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7. 1. Christmas
118%
Product. Price. Promise
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8. 1. Christmas
Discounting and vouchers
Canny interplay with retailer sales
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9. 2. No Middle in eCommerce
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10. 2. No Middle in eCommerce
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11. Product
2. No Middle in eCommerce
Operations
• Customer
– segment
– needs
– access
• Product
– exclusivity
Customer
– access
– knowledge
• Operations
– efficiency
– effectiveness
– service
Thursday, 26 February 2009

12. 3. Social - Follow the people, not technology
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13. 3. Social
83.85% higher
conversion (20+
reviews)
• Reviews becoming standard
• User “stories”, not just ratings
• 78%: “customer recommendations
are the most credible form of
advertising” (Nielsen)
Thursday, 26 February 2009

14. 3. Social
19% 81%
• Reviews becoming standard
• User “stories”, not just ratings
• 78%: “customer recommendations
• •
Top style-setters become “Mavens” Customers become sales-people
are the most credible form of
• Based on page views AND product • Social networks become retailers
advertising” (Nielsen)
clicks
• Co-shoppers as retailers (ThisNext)
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15. 3. Social
• Configure all
panels,
materials,
colour
• Preview your
custom shoe
• nikeid.nike.com
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16. 3. Social
• Configured
option
• Buy “your”
show
• Feedback to
Nike on
trends, colours
• May put into
production
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17. 3. Social
• Create your
own clothes
• More than just
‘configure’
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18. 3. Social
• Configuration
• Social
• Virtual and
real...
• Can do on a
mobile phone?
Copyright Icon Nicholson -
http://www.iconnicholson.com/
nrf07/
Thursday, 26 February 2009

19. 4. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
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20. 4. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
http://www.slideshare.net/ikj/ps071-digitalshorts-manchester
Thursday, 26 February 2009

21. 4. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
Nodes
http://www.slideshare.net/ikj/ps071-digitalshorts-manchester
Thursday, 26 February 2009

22. 4. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
Open Structured Data
Nodes
http://www.slideshare.net/ikj/ps071-digitalshorts-manchester
Thursday, 26 February 2009

23. 4. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
ESP?
Epiphenomena
Open Structured Data
Phenomena
Network
Social
Web 2.0
Business
Nodes
http://www.slideshare.net/ikj/ps071-digitalshorts-manchester
Thursday, 26 February 2009

24. 5. 2009?
Thursday, 26 February 2009

25. 5. Christmas
★ Customers - cynical, savvy, disloyal,
discriminating, demanding
★ Market - slowing, saturated, competitive
★ Data - partial, expensive, not owned, not
exclusive, not understood entirely
★ Behaviour and Phenomena - attention
and money are limited; free data and
interact; plan services for delight,
relevance and utility
★ Entering a magic phase - web is bigger
than any one/thing. Again.
Thursday, 26 February 2009

26. 5. Christmas
2008 2009
Rising tide floats all boats Gaps in the market for those
with sharp elbows - and the will
to use them!
Growth Cash
Innovation ROI
Range Focus
Competitors Customers
PPC SEO and Conversion
Ebullient Ruthless
Thursday, 26 February 2009

27. Thank you!
quot;Customer perspectives and behaviours online: considerations for fashion (r)etailingquot;
http://www.slideshare.net/ikj/ps073-lcf
London College of Fashion
February 2009
www.ianjindal.com
www.internetretailing.net
Thursday, 26 February 2009