nickshanagher

Natalie Massenet has made a fortune from setting up and running the Net-a-Porter fashion web site by combining her skills as a journalist with those of a retailer. "My goal was always to be editor in chief of a magazine, and I feel I have achieved that, only it's also a magazine that you can shop - which is even better," she tells the FT. At the heart of her success was the insight that good editorial content alongside items of clothing would encourage sales. Much as in a real world shop, good staff knowledge and know-how helps to clinch a sale. One of her new ideas is to allow visitors to her web site to see real time updates on what other users are putting in their baskets. She got the idea by observing that visitors to her office always stand mesmerised in front of big screens that show sales as they are happening - "so I knew it would be exactly the same for users." This tells you two things. One, that people shop in herds and will buy what other peo...

Further to my post of Paco Underhill's Why We Buy, he makes the point that everybody loves lists. His book is remarkably free of lists but contains two that may inspire some local retailers to read the book. What do shoppers love? Touching things Mirrors Discovering some things all by themselves Talking Being recognised Bargains. What do shoppers hate? Too many mirrors Queues Being asked dumb questions Having to bend over Out of stocks Obscure price tags Intimidating service. The last point explains my lack of Gucci loafers!