The new site has been created specifically with tablet using “stylists” in mind.
Stella & Dot has just announced the unveiling of their new T-commerce website that has been optimized specifically for tablet users and not simply those who have smartphones.
Approximately 80 to 90 percent of the traffic to the site is from what the retailer calls “stylists”.
The “stylists” who visit the regular site as well as the new t-commerce website are people who hold trunk show parties and who sell the accessories and jewelry from Stella & Dot to their friends and family. The company had discovered over the last several months that a growing number of their stylists were bringing their tablets – primarily iPads – with them when they were holding their parties. They would use the devices to be able to better illustrate the entire selection of different products and be able to take additional orders while on location, instead of having to wait until they had returned home in order to complete the orders on their laptops or desktops.
That said, the t-commerce site can also be used by individual customers, who also make their purchases there.
Approximately 10 to 20 percent of the traffic to the StellaDot.com website comes directly from consumers. While 30 percent of that total amount of consumer traffic is over mobile, t-commerce represents 80 percent of all of the traffic from mobile devices. This makes tablets an exceptionally important part of their mobile business. Among the tablet users, 90 percent are visiting the site over iPads.
Stella & Dot has clearly identified the devices that are being used by their customers and stylists, and are now working with Mobify, a mobile commerce technology vendor, in order to launch a website that has been carefully optimized with the t-commerce visitor in mind.
According to the chief information officer from Stella & Dot, Eduardo Frias, who spoke about the t-commerce updates, “I would not be surprised if tablet traffic doubles between now and next year.” He added that “Our technology roadmap for next year is heavily laden with smartphone-friendly and tablet-friendly initiatives to keep taking advantage of the boom in tablets and smartphones.”
BWild |
December 14, 2012
Tablet commerce finding traction during the holidays
Mobile shopping is nothing new, dating back to 1997 with Wireless Application Protocol sites, those that facilitate access to information over a mobile wireless network. Throughout the years, mobile shopping has evolved to become something that is wildly popular among tech-savvy consumers. This is becoming especially true for tablet users, who are beginning to represent a sizeable share of the mobile consumer base. Deloitte, a UK-based consulting firm, as well as several other market research firms, expects that tablet commerce will see a great deal of attention during this year’s holiday season.
Consumers becoming more interested in tablet commerce
Tablet commerce is a form of mobile commerce that refers specifically to the use of tablet devices, such as the iPad. Tablets are becoming more popular among consumers because of their wider range of capabilities, which trump most conventional smart phones. This is especially true in the publishing space, where magazines, newspapers, and other publications are seeing a great deal of growth through the offering of digital editions designed specifically for tablets.
Forecasts predict tablets to account for major financial activity during Christmas season
Deloitte predicts that more than $400 million in sales will be made in the United Kingdom directly through smart phones during the Christmas season. Tablet commerce is expected to perform much better, with Deloitte forecasting more than $550 million in sales coming directly from tablets. Adobe’s Digital Index 2012 Online Shopping Forecast predicts that tablets will account for nearly 8% of all sales made in the United Kingdom during the Christmas season this year, up from the 3% share they held in the same period of 2011.
UK retailers beginning to take mobile commerce more seriously
British retailers are showing more serious interest in mobile shopping for tablets as well. Retailers are beginning to develop services that are specifically designed for tablet devices, rather than smart phones. Applications for tablets are becoming much more common and could help influence more shopping activity among mobile consumers that are interested in using their mobile devices to find and pay for products than participate in traditional forms of commerce and shopping.
