Discuss about the Online Fashion Stores and the Internet.
The fashion industry is a very vibrant industry. With most trends changing faster than we can keep up with them it is essential for any business in this industry to be up to date with the current fashion trends so that they can lure clients into their business and for them to make purchases. In the fashion industry firms have developed business to consumer sites which have enabled them to sell their products online to a wider range of clients all over the globe (Amor, 1999). A brick and click firm is a business or a firm which has both an online presence such as an ecommerce website and a physical location where they sell their products from (Web applications meets bricks and mortar, 2013). In the transformation of businesses in the current digital age there is a huge need for businesses to keep up with the changes. Businesses have to know where there potential clients spend their time and how they do their shopping so that they can adapt and capitalize on them to remain relevant in the market and still make profits while at it. In businesses which have an ecommerce site it is necessary for them to have a physical location so that they can be able to transform their online reach of clients into potential clients who buy their products online or visit their physical location to make their purchases (Tkacz & Kapczynski, 2009). Any business that offers a physical shop, and has an online presence, benefits from these two platforms in the making of sales (Pettit, 2012). They can be able to sell their products to clients who are near their shops to other clients who are around the globe.
There are various firms in the fashion industry who have an ecommerce site which they use to capitalize on the online scene to make their sales (Beynon, 2004). As there has been increased sales of goods and services in all areas of business the Middle East has not been left out. The Middle East has seen over 4.43 million online shoppers. These numbers have been seen cumulatively in all areas of the Middle East such as Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE. There are various sites that sell fashion ware among other products within the Middle East. They include souq.com, aido.com, lesttango.com and alshop.com. They are also other websites around the globe that are famously acclaimed for selling fashion ware. They include reformation.com and present-london.com.
The emerging trend in the fashion industry and basically almost all industries is about gaining the online presence and operating digitally. This is primarily because of the congestion that comes about with the presence of having physical stores; not to mention the costs involved and low clientele. Ideally, the online presence has served to change the way fashion shopping is to be carried out and affected. The consequences have been a positive outcome in a majority of instance as some of these online shops retail on the international sphere. While most of the retailers come from the United States and the United Kingdom, the Middle East also serves to facilitate for a good number of the international market (Timers, 2000). In this respect, this paper will focus on the online presence of Boohoo of the United States of America, ASOS from the United Kingdom and SIVVI.com of the United Arab Emirates. These are online fashion stores that have great presence in the digital scope.
One of the features of the online sphere is that content is readily available and there is need for easy accessibility of the content. This easy derivation of data and navigation is what enables users to a site to frequent it often (Economic focus, 2010). However, online sites that are not easily defined and navigable make it difficult for users to find anything they want and as a result, they opt for other sites hence lowering the performance of the previous site (Sherry & Macredie, 2005). With regard to the three sites under study, each of them has an active online presence with an effective client base.
ASOS is one of America’s largest online fashion stores headquartered in the United Kingdom. The main targets of the site are the young adults presenting them with over 850 fashion brands to choose from. These brands are sold both online and through mobile experiences. The target markets of ASOS include the United States, Germany, France, China, Italy, Spain and Russia. In addition to the online experience, the company also ships its merchandise to its customers overseas to over 140 countries (Bidgoli, 2002). ASOS.com is the primary website of the company through which, customers can view and place orders for the latest fashion brands and trends. The site has been designed in a manner that is presentable and catchy to the needs of modern day young adults. This is such that, rather than the common professional look that many websites go for, ASOS.com has explored and worked beyond the ordinary in the design of its website. Upon logging into the site, it becomes evident who are the main beneficiaries and the various fashion styles on display. The navigation of the site is quite easy with the provided quick links (Rohm & Swaminathan, 2004). Content is easily retrievable within the site by following the provided quick links. It is not easy to navigate through a site when its downloading systems are slow. The ASOS site however, has fast downloads thus saving on both time and internet data for the consumers. The graphics and overall display used in the site is captivating with focus placed on the needs of the consumer. This is in the sense that, the site has utilized a great portion of graphics to produce clear images and content. The linking capabilities to the web have been fully exploited (Doherty, Chadwick & Hart, 2010). Deep linking methodology has been utilized making the site easily retrievable from the World Wide Web without necessarily having to visit its homepage. Finally, the privacy policy of ASOS.com is well defined at the bottom of its homepage and is accessible by a mere click of the button. This gives the consumers a chance to understand the legal obligations of the company to the consumers and vice versa.
Boohoo is an American based online fashion store whose primary targets are men and women in their prime. The site’s overall appearance is one that ensures that both men and women are comfortable and welcome to use the site. Ideally, the graphics used in the site facilitates for its unisex appearance. Using the site is equally as easy as using ASOS.com. However, finding content is not as easy. An individual has to scroll through the site to find the specific merchandise they are looking for and to see which products are attracting discounts (Bigne, 2005). Basically, Boohoo is a rather complex site that is best designed for the tech savvy group of individuals and the patient. Downloads in the site are quite fast once the user has found their way around the site and is able to navigate with ease. Nonetheless, the graphics and animation used in the site are very exemplary and project the professionalism and the casual nature of the target audience. In essence, the presentation in the site makes it lucrative for the target audience to select the look they wish to achieve. Like many other modern technology sites, Boohoo has well explored the linking capabilities to the web and can therefore be traced and found with ease in the global web without necessarily having to link it to the company’s website. This practically makes it easy for many people to access the site either willingly or by chance and consequently increase its internet presence alongside clientele (Falk, Socket & Chen, 2005). The target audience is mainly the elite class although many others can still benefit from its services. The sense of community is rather limited to the social elite and working class. The privacy policy is not easily traceable but it is a quick link at the very bottom of the page.
SIVVI.com is an online fashion store headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. Unlike many perceptions that the UAE might not have much to offer, the UAE has become the world’s new shopping center for a variety of products and goods (Thomas White International, 2012). This is inclusive of the latest fashion, perfumes, and accessories among other goods. The online store provides an array of products for the target market to choose from. Practically, the site caters for a wide range of customers of various age groups and body sizes in the clothing department. The general outlook of the site is one that is welcoming. On first site, a user can easily navigate through the site and gauge where what content is placed. The categorization of the goods makes it easy to locate that which a client is looking for and the site provides a variety of options to choose from even for just one product. The options provided are for both men and women in which, the site users have the option to select their most preferred designs, prices, brands and sizes as well. Being an online store from the Arabic Emirates, it would be expected that everything is in Arabic. On the contrary, the site is in English and provides the option of selecting products from the different Arabic nations or internationally. Navigation of the site is fast as everything is listed on the front page of the site. The site’s downloads are fast and easily accessible throughout the site. The graphics used are of top quality and display the products in their exact appearance making it possible to estimate on which ones they want and in what color and size. Primarily, the site has utilized little of the linking capabilities of the web. The site can only be found within its webpage and not through other means such as deep linking. Nonetheless, SIVVI.com is a communal site that makes people from across the globe to feel comfortable using the site. The site’s privacy policy is eloquent and accessible at the bottom of the web page.
Out of the three online fashion stores, Boohoo.com is one that has received rather negative reviews from customers who were dissatisfied by their service and lack of adherence to their policies (Peterson, Balasubramanian & Bronnenberg, 1997). It would be advisable for the company to re-evaluate its policies and look into the customers’ needs. The refund policy being the greatest concern should be reconsidered and restructured. Failure to do so will only cost the store its clientele. Secondly, the site needs to look into its general outlook and navigation so as to create a sense of community for its visitors and not the distinct categorization of its clientele. Improvements on its navigation in turn enable customers to easily find products.
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