Hudson`s Bay`s viral marketing success

Since it launched its web site last year, Hudson`s Bay Co. has learned the value of viral marketing. Last holiday shopping season, 10% of the sales at hbc.com Hudson`s Bay`s web site that represents all its chains, came from the United States, where Hudson`s Bay does not market and to where it does not ship product. The explanation for that 10%: Canadians are directing their American family and friends who want to buy gives for them to the web site. "Americans buy from hbc.com to send to Canadian friends and family," Michael E. LeBlanc, director of marketing and e-business development, told the Making Retail Click conference in Chicago. Interestingly, 90% of Canadians who buy from hbc.com pick up their purchases at The Bay or Zellers stores. That phenomenon created a problem for The Bay stores because they do not have customer service desks (each sales clerk is expected to assist with customer service) and no place to store the merchandise that people were picking up, LeBlanc said.