The Mouse That Roars; a Site That Zooms
Online retail sales soared to $1.24 billion for the week ending April 11—up 57 percent from the $789 million reported for the corresponding week one year ago, according to ComScore Networks Inc. (www.comscore.com).
A new report from Forrester Research Inc. (www.forrester.com), “U.S. eCommerce Overview: 2003 to 2008,” summarizes that while offline retail sales continue to struggle, online retail sales are projected to grow at a steady 19 percent year-over-year rate, from $95.7 billion in 2003 to $229.9 billion in 2008. If these projections are correct, online retail sales will account for 10 percent of total U.S. retail sales by 2008.
Forrester found that a growing online consumer base, increases in new product categories and efforts by online retailers to optimize online shopping experiences will spark this growth. The report predicts that about 5 million new U.S. households will shop online every year for the next five years, for a total of 63 million U.S. online shopping households in 2008. Food and beverage products, sporting goods, and home goods will be the fastest-growing categories. Apparel will continue to advance at a healthy and consistent rate of 9 percent to 11 percent per year.
As online consumers’ shopping preferences are evolving, online retailers are investing more heavily in site design and usability testing to create optimal experiences for their customers. Today, 84 percent of the top 92 e-commerce sites offer zoom options for viewing products up close, and many retailers offer Spanish-language options to serve their Latino shoppers.
The Latino connection
A recent report by Nielsen/NetRatings Inc. (www.nielsen-netratings.com) says Latinos are the ones to watch when it comes to new growth opportunities on the Web. According to the report, 12.6 million Latinos are online today— up 43 percent from six months ago.
Latinos are the fastest-growing online population and are younger than the general Internet population. Just 5 percent of Latino Internet users are 55 and older, compared with 21 percent of the general online population. Because of their youth, online Latino users are more likely to purchase trend-driven soft goods, including apparel—as well as event tickets, movies, music and computer software—than the general online audience, the report says.
In addition, Spanish-language portals enjoyed significant ad-impression growth in a number of industries during the past year. Ad impressions grew 856 percent for entertainment providers, 451 percent for business-to-business services, 451 percent for retail goods and services, 431 percent for automotive products, and 207 percent for Web media.
Indeed, Web newsletter Internet Retailer (www.internetretailer.com) recently reported that some online apparel marketers are finally waking up. Responding to the rapid growth in the number of Latinos shopping online, apparel designer Perry Ellis International Inc. has launched Spanish-language versions of its Cubavera and The Havanera Co. sites, www.cubavera.com and www.havanera.com.
“It is essential to integrate language into the identity of these Hispanic brands,” said Lori Medici, Perry Ellis vice president of marketing.
The informational sites offer store locators that provide twoclick access to retail partners’ e-commerce sites. Perry Ellis reports that the Havanera and Cubavera sites combined posted more than 250,000 visitors in March.
“Hispanic consumers are brand-loyal and powerful spenders,” said Perry Ellis President and Chief Executive Officer Oscar Feldenkreis. “We are responding to the Latin explosion by connecting over the Internet with the fastest-growing ethnic group in America.”
For those interested in further research on Latino marketing strategies, the Sydney, Australia–based International Quality and Productivity Center (www.iqpc.com) will hold a conference, “U.S. Hispanic Marketing 2004: Proven Strategies to Successfully Target the Fastest Growing Minority Group in the United States With Purchasing Power of $540 Billion,” July 27–28, in San Diego.
Site Review: “I click therefore I am”
The ultra-hip, fashion-forward site www.zoozoom.com hits viewers hard with information from a contemporary sensibility that’s refreshing, smart and about as Web-savvy as we’ve seen. The target audience appears to be fashion professionals and, perhaps, the sophisticated fashion consumer. And by “sophisticated,” we include broadband Web access as a prerequisite; much of the Flash-animated content requires fast connections.
The site’s ZooZoom Magazine, subtitled “The Art of Fashion,” is a multimedia trip through clothing, cosmetics, models, hairstyling and designer profiles that sets new ground rules for what an online publication can be. The site takes full advantage of the latest software—by now, fairly refined and free of the buggy, jerky, give-up-and-crash behaviors of previous multimedia experiments on the Web.
Also, a new and fabulous feature, entitled “Fashion Forum,” takes the old concept of online discourse known as “bulletin boards” and updates the format. The area features what’s best from the old format—visitor input on narrowly defined subjects that adds up to vivid continuing dialog—in a user-friendly graphic interface. Currently, such topics as “Jennifer Lopez in Vogue,” “Naughty, Naughty Kevin [Spacey],” “Creating a Fashion Show” and dozens more are up and inviting users to add to the discussion. The forum, which has teamed with New York’s www.lookonline.com and www.fashionlines.com to create a place to talk about fashion and style, is an engaging new place in cyberspace.
Last but not least, view the “Internet Portrait Project,” the home of “I click therefore I am.” Visitors are invited to upload their portraits and reacute;sumeacute;s to be incorporated into a dazzling, fast-moving display of individuals participating in ZooZoom worldwide.
It’s good work—entertaining and thoughtful.
