MML`s MarketLive(tm) Technology Provides Sportswear Cataloger Real-Time Inventory, Custom Embroidery and Hemming, Coordinated Collections, and More
Petaluma, CA -- June 20, 2003 -- Multimedia Live (MML) (http://www.mmlive.com), the leading developer of e-commerce technology and services for Intelligent Selling(tm) on the Web, announced today that it has launched a new merchandising e-commerce website for sportswear cataloger Sportif USA (http://www.sportif.com). The site, powered by Multimedia Live`s MarketLive(tm) e-commerce technology, provides a complete B-to-C shopping environment and will also serve as the foundation for a B-to-B site for use by Sportif resellers. Features include an advanced product page with instantaneous real-time stock availability lookup, backorder messaging, and backorder recovery items. Special product categories are supported by full product family administration capabilities. Custom embroidery and hemming, clickable color swatches, coordinated product collections, and other features further enhance the customer experience. Multimedia Live also designed the new user interface.
Sportif, founded in 1965, manufactures and markets its own line of comfortable, stylish clothing built with the durability and functionality necessary for outdoor life. Sportif sells its products through its catalogs, its website, and a large number of resellers coast to coast. Multimedia Live designed Sportif`s new site to support the company`s reputation for quality and customer service, using proven merchandising techniques to make it easy to find products and placing vital product and inventory information where the customer can get it easily.
The product page supports this focus on a quality customer experience, providing the shopper with as much pertinent product and stock status information as possible. Features of the product page include:
* Instantaneous real-time lookup of stock availability based upon size and color. When a shopper chooses a size/color combination, the site dynamically generates a drop-down list of the colors available in that size. Each product is marked as "in stock", "out of stock", or "not available."
* The site provides the approximate availability date if a customer selects an out-of-stock item. It presents an option to purchase the back-ordered item or to select another product.
* If the shopper selects an item that is not available, the site can present messaging and thumbnail images for up to three recovery items chosen in advance by Sportif`s merchandising staff.
* The current price appears next to each item in the product drop-down list. This includes "is/was" pricing to indicate discounted items.
* Clickable swatches change the product image to match the color of the swatch.
* A "More Info" box on every product page can display links to sizing charts, care and cleaning instructions, use instructions, or whatever else Sportif chooses to add.
In addition, the real-time inventory system will provide Sportif`s resellers with accurate inventory counts for each item so they can see exactly how many of each item are available. Backorder purchasing is available for these B-to-B customers as well.
Custom programming enables the easy management of a special product category for Coordinated Collections. This section includes groups of garments chosen by Sportif to look good together. For example, a men`s Coordinated Collection might include seven pairs of slacks and eight shirts, all of which are displayed in a group photo. Any pair of slacks will look good with any shirt. All are available through product drop-downs placed under the group photo. When a customer selects one of these products, the site automatically presents the product in the same color as it is in the group photo. As with other product pages, product availability is updated in real time and the price appears right next to the product name.
The MarketLive administration system provides Sportif merchandising staff with a user-friendly interface for updating all product descriptions, pricing, images, product families, and other key features. The product families feature allows Sportif staff to rapidly assign individual products to groups that can then be manipulated further. Product families can be assigned to specific categories, have promotions assigned to them, removed from the site, and so forth. This makes it easy for Sportif to modify product selection within its Coordinated Collections, Sportif Originals, Shop by Activity, and Outlet Store categories.
Special features popular with consumers include custom logo and monogram embroidery and custom hemming. Hemming is available in quarter-inch increments for both cuff and straight styling. There is also a "Do not Hem" option. Other site features include "view larger" product images, gift certificate purchase and redemption, wish lists, a store locator, and more.
"Our new site for Sportif puts their products and the customer experience at the center of the entire e-commerce process, in both B-to-C and B-to-B environments," said Ken Burke, Multimedia Live President and CEO. "Instantaneous inventory updates show exactly what is on Sportif`s shelves, bringing Sportif and their products closer to the customer. Providing a transparent and enjoyable customer experience and optimizing all selling opportunities is one of Multimedia Live`s primary goals, and is the central theme of our Intelligent Selling e-commerce philosophy."
About Multimedia Live:
Multimedia Live (http://www.mmlive.com), a pioneer of Intelligent Selling(tm) online, is a nationally recognized Web technology and design company serving the catalog, direct marketing, retail, and manufacturing industries. MarketLive(tm) is Multimedia Live`s enterprise-class, Java(tm)-based, rapid e-commerce application built from the ground up specifically to address the need for a powerful, effective online e-commerce merchandising engine. The company has over 110 employees working with clients as diverse as General Motors, Electronic Arts, Norm Thompson, and The Swiss Colony. It was founded in 1995 by entrepreneur Ken Burke and is located in Petaluma, California. Burke is the author of the recently-published book Intelligent Selling: The Art and Science of Selling Online.
Contacts:
Multimedia Live:
Peter Loughlin
Marketing Communications Manager
1-707-773-3434
peterl@mmlive.com
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