E-commerce: Sell by Collections

Thumbnails are out. Collections are in. That was the mantra offered by Ken Burke, president and CEO of MarketLive, an e-commerce development and technology company, during his talk “Innovate or Stagnate” held during the New England Mail Order Association’s fall conference in Groton, Conn., last week

Collection selling for an apparel merchant would include offering entire outfits on one screen on your Web site, similar to what you do in your catalog, said Burke.

He suggested that catalogers try sorting merchandise in new and innovative ways. For example, let customers shop by:

¥ activity (sport or hobby);
¥ event (work apparel or evening wear);
¥ theme (movies from the 1950s);
¥ by room (dorms, kids, kitchens);
¥ by brand names; or
¥ by style (southwestern, modern, traditional).

“Selling by collections establishes strong brand relationships between products,” said Burke. “It makes related products much easier to find. And it helps establish your company as an expert to your customers.”