Customer Acquisition: Feed Your Need to Sell

Other catalogers view the feeds as more than just customer-acquisitions tools. For example, Karen Stern, director of e-retail operations at FootSmart, a cataloger of foot health products, says the feeds add another ordering channel.

It’s important to note that with this new ordering channel comes the risk of being seen on screen right next to your competitors. Matt Kennedy, online marketing manager for FootSmart, surmises that catalogers selling well-known branded items may have a tough time competing for customers on the shopping feeds, because consumers who know those brands head directly to the branded Web sites. “Products that are a little unknown are doing best [on the shopping feeds], because they don’t have a natural known outlet,” says Kennedy.