Dive Brief:
- Saks Fifth Avenue has introduced a service that brings personalized shopping suggestions to individual customers online.
- Using technology from Salesfloor, associates can develop dedicated saks.com “boutique” pages for customers that include a selection of curated merchandise.
- Associates can interact with customers via live chat, e-mail or in-person appointments, or promote the storefronts via e-mail and social media.
Dive Insight:
Saks Fifth Avenue has found a way to extend personal service into its online experience. Using technology from e-commerce specialist Salesfloor, the department store chain’s associates can now create web pages to suggest a curated selection of goods to individual customers. Associates can disseminate their selections and interact with clients online, through live chat, in social media or in person, 24 hours a day.
“This is a highly personalized, online solution to selling, merging our highest trafficked channel with our highest converter—our associates,” Saks President Marc Metrick said in a statement. “With access to associates 24/7, personalized services and more, we finally have the ability to bring the high-touch Saks experience and store environment online.”
High-end department stores have been struggling to maintain growth in the omnichannel marketplace, and public e-commerce sites and apps are largely self-service, no matter how well-heeled the customer is. If online shoppers embrace the technology, Saks may have found a way to encourage sales ahead of—or independently of—an in-store visit.
“Today's all-channel customer wants a high level of service, regardless of channel,” said Joe Milano, Saks senior vice president and general manager of digital retail and e-commerce. “When it comes to luxury shopping, there is no substitute for the personalized experience offered by a knowledgeable Saks associate.”
