New tool makes it easier to manage campaigns and create personalized online shopping experiences
Ann Arbor, Michigan – June 6, 2006 -- Fry, Inc., a leading e-commerce design, development and managed services provider today announced the addition of a new “experience management” tool to its Open Commerce Platform (OCP). OCP is Fry’s license-free e-commerce solution that enables retailers to quickly develop an online store and expand their e-commerce business.
A user-friendly drag and drop interface, dubbed “Experience Manager” helps retailers create targeted merchandising and promotional campaigns. The tool makes it possible to deliver a specific campaign to a particular segment of customers based on their previous shopping behavior. Continuous analytical processing evaluates customer actions and delivers relevant responses. The experience management tool also includes customizable email templates with which retailers can maintain relationships with customers beyond the online shopping experience.
“Today, attracting and retaining customers online means delivering unique and relevant campaigns, or experiences,” said David Fry, president and chief executive officer of Fry, Inc. “Customers want a personalized shopping transaction – one that ‘speaks’ to them individually. With OCP’s new experience management capabilities we’ve made it easier for retailers to create and deliver the online shopping experiences that drive customer loyalty and sales.”
The 2006 “The State of Retailing Online” report, a Shop.org study by Forrester Research, identifies the investments retailers are making to improve their online operations. According to the report, the next five to ten years of online retail will be even more competitive and more innovative than in the past. There are four main areas that will see the most investment from online retailers: customer service, guided selling, social marketing, and loyalty.
The Experience Manager in OCP makes it easy to deliver targeted content, discounts, promotions and personalized email messages based on customers’ choices, preferences and actions.
“We’re adding experience management to our market-leading e-commerce framework to give retailers the campaign management tools to improve customer service and loyalty, and online merchandising and marketing in order to provide their customers with a superior online shopping experience,” said Fry.
Open Commerce Platform is a J2EE-compliant, license-free framework that can run on a number of application servers and integrates with multiple systems and databases. Its robust feature set includes targeted merchandising and site management with workflow and scheduling, and can be extended to meet a business’ unique needs. The platform was recently cited as a “good fit for brand-focused manufacturers and retailers,” by Forrester Research in its March 17, 2006 report, “Making Sense of Hosted Commerce Platforms.”
The first Web site implementations with the new experience management capabilities are planned to launch later this year.
About Fry, Inc.
Fry designs, develops, builds, and hosts e-commerce applications, providing business solutions for clients that deliver results. Founded in 1994, with offices in Ann Arbor, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, Fry specializes in systems engineering, managed services, information architecture, creative design, usability, and brand strategy. Commerce platforms created and managed by Fry generate billions of dollars in revenue annually for clients such as Ann Taylor, Brookstone, Crate and Barrel, Eddie Bauer, Godiva Chocolatier, The Home Depot, Kmart, Lillian Vernon, and Whirlpool. For more information, visit the Fry web site at www.fry.com.
Media contact:
Tim Wieland
248.304.1414
wieland@airfoilpr.com
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