“We believe in the personalised context for the customer, not necessarily the personalised letter or email,” says Cooke. “For us it is less about addressing our customers by name and much more about understanding who they are, merchandising our stores to suit their unique needs and resonating with them as relevant to their lifestyle.
“We use data extensively to set up these environments, and are constantly A/B testing our platform and communications to ensure we are hitting the mark.
“As we are able to analyse and use unstructured data more and more from the broader internet to supplement our shopping data, we will be able increasingly to provide these customised contexts for our shoppers,” she explained.
Here, she goes on to discuss global trends in online shopping, and how SA is faring in this globally competitive market …
Drawing on your insight into the e-commerce sector, what are currently the most influential global trends and how will these have an impact on local online shoppers?The most important trend at the moment in global e-commerce is the focus on the customer journey through the entire retail environment, largely originating online, from a digital device. Everything in the e-commerce environment needs to start and end with customers and their specific requirements.
There is the overarching drive for convenience and customised experience for the millennial customer. As well as user-generated content and a fleshed-out experience when shopping.
This has yet to happen in the South African market as we are still in relatively early online trading days. But the pressure is on for this to be reality in the next four to five years and retailers should already be in the planning stage to meet this need.
What steps has TFG taken to personalise the online shopping experience?This month we have introduced automated wish-list messaging to our online mall. Shoppers can add items to their online wish lists and they will receive an alert when the item goes on sale or when the stock levels are low so they can decide whether they want to buy the item. Shoppers can also now wish list an item when it is out of stock and they will receive an email alert when the item is back in stock.
We have also introduced a special occasion reminder calendar so that our shoppers can remember to buy or send gifts to friends and family for birthdays, anniversaries or any celebration.
To create a seamless shopping experience, we’ve also introduced a stock tracker. When shoppers find a product is not available online, the stock tracker checks stock at the nearest bricks-and-mortar store and gives them that store’s contact details, so they can quickly reserve the item.
As the TFG online mall expands, what innovations or enhancements can consumers expect in the short and longer term?The expansion of the TFG online mall will include loads more brands online and, therefore, more diversity in product mix and assortment. With much more to choose from, the shopping experience will become richer and more convenient. The online mall will truly become a one-stop shop for all the customer needs.
In addition to more products, we are also looking to make the customer experience much more convenient by allowing customers to shop categories that cut across all the TFG brands. This can be anything from denim or sneakers to festival shopping and weddings.
A recent report by World Wide Worx (published by Memeburn on Wednesday, 6 April) said that online accounts for just 1% of retail sales in SA. What factors will boost this figure to rival other countries?Most countries that have been trading online for 15 years are reaching levels of about 5% of their retail, taking place online. At TFG we expect to hit this level within six to eight years easily, and are already slightly ahead of the SA level of 1%.
Online trade is a strategic priority for TFG and we are focussed around stretched targets for this trade, as well as driving more engaging and convenient experiences for the South African customer.
Providing innovative solutions to make our customers’ lives easier, like stock tracker, will meet the expectations of convenience. In addition, by making shopping online as democratic as possible by allowing our customers to use their store account cards or instant EFT, opens online shopping up to far more potential customers.
As more local retailers take their brands online, how will TFG separate itself from the competition?TFG is always focussed on customer experience and the retail journey the customer goes on with us. We believe that by continuing to build on our success to date, sticking to our philosophy of an extensive, convenient and democratised online shopping environment, and keeping focussed on what the customer wants from us, we will maintain our position at the front of this market.
We are also in the privileged position to have a retail group made up of 21 different brands, spanning the fashion lifestyle sector, so our offering is by definition broad and there is something to suit everyone. This places us at a distinct advantage.
The online mall allows the shopper to buy products across all seven stores, all going into one convenient bag. And with 3 million TFG account holders, they all have access to online shopping using their store cards, credit cards or both.
Robyn has worked as a marketing leader in the technology and internet field for over 20 years for some of the globe’s largest companies, based out of London. Robyn returned to Cape Town to merge this experience with her first love, fashion, and was South Africa’s first fashion blogger, commentator and stylist. She has run a popular style blog since 2008. In 2011 she was named one of Cosmopolitan’s first Twitter Queens, and in December 2013 was named one SA’s 40 Best Global Twitter feeds to follow by Elle magazine.
At the same time, Robyn worked as the content director for online fashion retailer, Style36, fashion editor at O, the Oprah magazine, as a freelance fashion writer for Cosmopolitan magazine, Woolworths magazine and iAfrica.com, among other online projects.
Robyn is now the head of e-commerce for TFG, managing and driving the omni-channel strategy for the group, which now has seven brands active on the channel. It is a role that brings Robyn’s skills, knowledge and experience in communications, fashion and technology together.
