Retailers see 16% sales boost from multi-channel, Lands` End CEO says
A strong emphasis on multi-channel retailing results in a 16% boost in sales from online customers who also shop other channels, president and CEO Mindy Meads said in a keynote address at eTail 2005 in Philadelphia this week.
“Retailers get a 16% spending increase and a 15% increase in transactions” from web shoppers who also shop other channels, said Meads, who is also a corporate executive vice president of Lands’ End parent Sears, Roebuck and Co., No. 6 in the Internet Retailer Top 400 Guide to Retail Web Sites.
Lands’ End itself takes several key steps to maximize multi-channel sales, Meads said. Among the most important is brand consistency in merchandising and marketing efforts. “When we put TV advertising integrated with Internet and catalog, it works,” she said, adding that the web channel must be integrated with each marketing and selling channel to ensure brand consistency.
Lands’ End also strives to make the web channel a rewarding shopping experience by combining technology innovation with features that make shopping easier, Meads said. “LandsEnd.com is not a fancy cash register to aid transactions,” she said, noting that it’s important to focus on features that save customers time.
But though Lands’ End has led the way with online features like My Virtual Model to let shoppers get a custom apparel fit online, one of its biggest challenges is maintaining its reputation as a retailer with cutting-edge shopping features, Meads said. When asked what keeps her awake at night, she answered: “Trying to find new ways to get better, so we can continue to be better than the day before.”
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