Monday 20th May

The Pulse

Poles apart

Written by
Paul Hassing

Businesses, Featured, The Web

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22
Dec

Online shops: warm fuzzy or cold shoulder?

A recent perfume purchase showed how ferocious competition, brilliant strategy and questionable tactics can all be part of an online shop.

Whether you (plan to) buy or sell online this year or next, these observations may interest.

On the scent

If you think the printer market is competitive, check out perfume: high value and volume meets low weight and shipping.

The item I sought ranged from $170 to $83, so it was well worth looking around.

I planned to troll the lowest priced retailers until I hit one that looked trustworthy.

But the very first site I found grabbed and kept me.

Baby please don’t go!

As I tried to click to a competitor after perusing this site, a warning appeared:

‘Wait! Our agent has a special offer for you.’

Then another box came up with an attractive avatar and the words:

‘Madison says: Wait! We’d really like you as a customer. I’m authorized to give you a one-time discount of $6. CLICK HERE.’

I don’t like surprise pop-up messages (especially if I’m ‘lucky’ enough to be the 999,999^th visitor).

Nor am I into coupons and their myriad, hidden, inevitably dispiriting terms.

But I saw no asterisk, fine print or ‘conditions apply’ proviso.

And since my search was cost-based, $6 appealed.

So I looked round the site and decided to give it a go.

This was an impressive achievement, as I always suss several suppliers before committing.

Closing the deal

Joining and ordering were easy – another win. (It’s amazing how many retail sites pip you at the post.)

Then I was invited to sign up for a loyalty scheme.

I hate these things, but couldn’t resist the offer of significant dollars off my next purchase.

And though I don’t recruit loved ones for a piece of the action, I was impressed the referral scheme extended to five levels for those who do.

A few days later, I got an email advertising a 15% sale.

It seemed the site, having found me, was dead keen to keep me.

This seldom happens in bricks-and-mortar stores.

Smell of success

The perfume took six weeks to arrive – a long time.

But it wasn’t a rushed purchase (and I figured there had to be some catch to a 51% discount) so I wasn’t fussed.

In the box were more goodies:

An untimed[!] voucher for a further $5 off my next purchase
A card asking for a 5-star Amazon rating if I was happy and a chance to fix things if I wasn’t.

This was smart, as prospects read and trust buyer reviews.

I was feeling pretty good about the whole experience.

Then I saw the shipping label.

On the nose?

The package had come from Fiji.

The customs declaration read ‘scented candle’.

I found this puzzling and slightly unsettling.

Was this US retailer dodging tax?

Would they really do that after all their effort to win my trust?

I sent an email and got a reply in minutes:

‘Your order had Fiji postage since that is the postage Freipost uses to save postage expense. Your order flew out of California directly to your country and was delivered to you without ever arriving in Fiji.

Our company owns multiple online sites with our own candle site and we manufacture our own candles here at our warehouse in Santa Ana, California. All candle orders can/or designer products are shipped from our Candle warehouse.’

I don’t ‘get’ this, so I don’t trust it. Do you?

As we ponder, I’d love to hear about your online shopping forays, and how (if?) you incorporate this burgeoning channel into your business.

Act NOW to beat the rush!

Paul Hassing | Founder & Senior Writer – The Feisty Empire

clients, competition, customer loyalty, customer service, image, marketing, online, online shopping, promotion, web, website

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What others are saying

Author

Ken Burgin

December 22, 2011 at 11:50 am

Paul I think the misleading label is because of restrictions on posting liquids. Not the only ones who do it…

Reply
- Author
  
  Paul Hassing
  
  December 22, 2011 at 11:55 am
  
  Ah, that would make sense, Ken. You don’t really want little metal-and-glass vials of avgas rattling round in your luggage bay at 40,000 feet, do you?
  
  So, do you think the candle call is spurious?
  
  Thanks so much for stopping by with your valuable insight.
  
  Reply
Author

Malcolm Owens

December 22, 2011 at 12:38 pm

Good post Paul,

That is an interesting question – you received the item you ordered in good order and in a reasonably satisfactory time frame when offset by the discount you received. Therefore does it matter how it got there?

On the other side labelling perfume as scented candle may dodge some import duties (perfume like alcohol bears a high cost) so then it may not offer our traditional retailers who play by the rules a fair and level competitive playing field.

So you may enjoy the discount but this may be a small chip in the fabric of society. I agree that the discount is good but it does smell and not in the way the perfume does.

Reply
- Author
  
  Paul Hassing
  
  December 22, 2011 at 12:52 pm
  
  Thanks, Malcolm.
  
  I’m a freak when it comes to playing by the rules. If I learn that this crowd is bending or breaking them, I’ll never use them again.
  
  Society is already pretty damn careworn . You could say it’s not worth hanging on to the remaining threads. Or you could argue that when they’re gone, we’re gone.
  
  Maybe it’s because, as a former musician, I was appalled at the cavalier way so-called ‘fans’ ripped their favourite bands’ tunes for nothing.
  
  Maybe it’s because the much-lauded ‘pure’ Fiji Water requires tankerloads of diesel fuel to extract, stuff into plastic bottles and ship round the world.
  
  Or maybe it’s because I respect the written word. And though I’m open to interpretive nuance, ‘Fiji’ should bloody-well mean ‘Fiji’!
  
  Best regards, P.
  
  Reply
Author

Malcolm Owens

December 22, 2011 at 3:01 pm

Just a quick note of thanks from all us readers for such a great year of interesting, amusing and thought provoking posts. This remains the only blog I subscribe to and I’m never disappointed.

Well done, Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing what you come up with in 2012 – Thanks!

Reply
- Author
  
  Paul Hassing
  
  December 22, 2011 at 3:04 pm
  
  Thank you, Malcolm, for being such an amazing contributor from Day One right up to now. I appreciate your input very much indeed.
  
  Reply
- Author
  
  Stephen Hamilton
  
  December 22, 2011 at 3:13 pm
  
  Good call Malcolm! Hear hear!
  
  Reply
  - Author
    
    Paul Hassing
    
    December 22, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Author

Leon Noone

December 23, 2011 at 4:45 am

And So Say All Of Us! Three Christmas Cheers for Hassler–not hustler–Hassing.
Don’t mind me: just been to a wedding in Melbourne. And I visited a client in Abbotsford. It really does exist.

All of youse have a great Christmas and, of course, make sure you have fun!

Go Bombers!
Best wishes
Leon

Reply
- Author
  
  Paul Hassing
  
  December 23, 2011 at 7:24 am
  
  Thank you kindly, Leon.
  
  Geez, for a bloke who’s completely childless, largely godless and often witless, I’m starting to feel a bit … cheerful! And it’s because of you guys.
  
  I exist to be read. You do that and so much more. I’m sincerely and humbly grateful.
  
  Reply
Author

Paul Hassing

December 23, 2011 at 7:53 am

A very significant move from Harvey Norman:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/harvey-norman-joins-web-stampede-20111222-1p7cb.html

While I don’t always agree with his views, I never fail to be impressed by Gerry Harvey’s candour. Such a rare thing these days.

Reply
Author

Leanne Berry

December 23, 2011 at 11:06 am

Congratulations on an outstanding year of interesting and though provoking posts Paul – have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to your challenges in 2012 xx

Reply
- Author
  
  Paul Hassing
  
  December 23, 2011 at 11:18 am
  
  That means a very great deal to me, Leanne. Thank you for spreading the word and adding your own excellent contributions.
  
  January already looks like being nothing The Empire has ever experienced, so you won’t be disappointed on the challenge front. I promise to continue giving these blog posts my all.
  
  Best regards indeed!
  
  Reply
Author

Paul Hassing

December 23, 2011 at 11:43 am

Egad! There seems to be tectonic shifting:

http://www.theage.com.au/business/myer-brings-forward-online-boxing-day-sale-20111223-1p7po.html

This reminds me of US retailers, who started their Black Friday thanksgiving sales before citizens had even finished giving thanks!

Funny old world …

Reply
Author

Paul Hassing

January 4, 2012 at 5:52 am

More realisation of the new reality:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/retailers-told-go-online-or-wither-on-vine-20120103-1pjnu.html

Reply
Author

Paul Hassing

February 28, 2012 at 6:21 am

The latest:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/online-sales-outpacing-traditional-retail-20120227-1tyya.html

Reply
Author

Paul Hassing

March 19, 2012 at 9:42 am

A fascinating corollary:

http://www.theage.com.au/business/retailer-perfume-connection-takes-a-hit-20120318-1vdmz.html

Reply
Author

Paul Hassing Founder & Senior Writer - The Feisty Empire

March 22, 2012 at 6:48 am

Go online or perish?

http://www.theage.com.au/business/big-retailers-hammered-20120321-1vkdi.html

Possibly both!

Reply