STORES Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 26)

EXECUTIVE SUITE / WEBSITE STRATEGY Shelf Life BY FIONA SOLTES Borders brings online interactivity into the store n these fast-moving times, the idea of browsing a bookshelf can seem like a luxury . But what if that shelf was “magic” — tailor-made to reflect the visitor’s specific interests, with relevant recommendations and “I-hadn’t-thought-of-that” suggestions? I Thanks to a partnership between Borders Group and enterprise search solution provider Endeca, the virtual Magic Shelf is the first thing visitors to the bookstore’s website see. In addition to categories like “new music,” “new fiction” and “new for kids,” there are choices such as “picked for you” and “staff picks,” as well. Kevin Ertell, senior vice president of e-business for Borders Group, has become a believer. His own Borders.com Magic Shelf was what turned him on to a tome called “The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life.” “In an office absolutely surrounded by books, I’ve found one there that I hadn’t even heard of,” he says. “It’s a niche thing, not something that would normally be promoted. But it showed up because of my interest in strategy. That’s very appealing to me, and I love it.” In speaking with customers, Borders discovered that more than half of the people who walk into the bookstore don’t know what they want to buy. “They’re just looking for a new book,” Ertell says. But that’s not all: They’re also looking for a sense of “warmth, inspiration and discovery,” and want someone who knows what is available to make a good recommendation. “We wanted to capture that and bring it online, too,” he says. “We wanted a much more browse-focused experience, something that allows people to explore. And we’ve been pleased to hear from our customers that they’ve had the same feeling online that they’ve had walking into one of our stores.” Changing the strategy Prior to teaming with Endeca, Borders had partnered with Amazon.com. That basically meant the retailer’s website was an Amazon site with a Borders logo, Ertell says, and it gave the company no effective way to differentiate itself online. “We wanted to change our strategy,” he says. “We thought it was very important to have our own website and have control over it, as well as over the customer experience. We wanted to be able to integrate it in a cross-channel way with the store, and be able to incorporate things like our loyalty program.” 26 STORES / DECEMBER 2008 Online consumers expect e-commerce features to work easily and intuitively, with navigation tools that they don’t have to think too hard about. Grand plans for the new site were soon under way, and it was up and running by the end of May. Jesse Goldman, Endeca’s global lead for the retail industry, says the idea of offering a consistent crosschannel experience is becoming “increasingly important.” In the case of Borders, one of the challenges was “We wanted a much more browse-focused experience, something that allows people to explore.” — Kevin Ertell, Borders Group http://www.Borders.com http://www.Amazon.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - December 2008

STORES Magazine - December 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Wrap Rage Unraveled What Shoppers Think Courting a Comeback 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Cover Story: Navigating the Road Ahead Website Strategy Concept2Watch Online Customer Service International Marketing Green Retailing Online Merchandising Signage Operations Online Strategies Pricing Strategy Kiosks RFID Human Resources Loeb Retail Letter ARTS Update Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - December 2008

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