With the increasing integration of luxury and e-commerce, an ever-present hot topic is customer service. How best can upmarket designers replicate what they offer in-store in the online space?
It was interesting to read a piece on The Wall Street Journal recently therefore (A wish of e-shoppers everywhere, now in China), about the forthcoming launch of Yoox Group’s The Corner in China, and its collaboration with FedEx.
When shoppers get a delivery from thecorner.com.cn, the deal means the courier will actually wait on the doorstep for them while they look at their purchases, try them on and decide whether to keep them. Now that’s service.
The aim is to appeal to China’s high-end consumers and draw more of their luxury spending online. In case you weren’t already aware of the power of China spending, it might be worth noting it is estimated the country will account for 20% of the expected $547bn worth of luxury purchases by 2020, according to investment research group CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets.
Attracting this booming market is now about doing more than just opening a store. As the Chinese consumer has become more sophisticated so have their expectations, meaning special perks and exceptional service do hold value.
“China’s luxury buyers started decades later than the rest of the world, but in many ways, they are not only catching up but are surpassing the others,” said Federico Marchetti, founder and CEO of Yoox.
The site will also offer a 24-hour call centre, and fashion advisers accessible via instant messenger who can answer questions on fabric, quality, style and sizing.
Interestingly, if the standby service with FedEx is successful in China (it launches in September), Marchetti has suggested it may roll out to other countries too. Watch this space…
4 replies on “The Corner’s China launch to partner with FedEx for luxury standby service”
[…] as market leaders are likely going to have to continue to increase service offerings (such as thecorner’s courier service, which lets customers try on their purchases while a deliveryman waits) and stocking better […]
[…] as market leaders are likely going to have to continue to increase service offerings (such as thecorner’s courier service, which lets customers try on their purchases while a deliveryman waits) and stocking better […]
[…] Third, Shangpin has put a strong priority on customer service and the kind of value-added perks that Chinese consumers love — among them delivery in an elegant black shopping bag (perhaps taking a cue from Net-A-Porter) with gold lettering, offline shopping and networking events, free two-day nationwide FedEx delivery, and in-house customer service available seven days a week. In July of last year, Shangpin also kicked in its “Consumer Trust Plan,” which instated new services including a seven-day unconditional return policy and a try-on service available for customers at time of delivery. (A model also adapted by thecorner.com.cn last summer.) […]
[…] Third, Shangpin has put a strong priority on customer service and the kind of value-added perks that Chinese consumers love — among them delivery in an elegant black shopping bag (perhaps taking a cue from Net-A-Porter) with gold lettering, offline shopping and networking events, free two-day nationwide FedEx delivery, and in-house customer service available seven days a week. In July of last year, Shangpin also kicked in its “Consumer Trust Plan,” which instated new services including a seven-day unconditional return policy and a try-on service available for customers at time of delivery. (A model also adapted by thecorner.com.cn last summer.) […]