Setting up shop…online
When it comes to online shopping, the GCC is a relatively immature market. But with the financial crisis threatening to run retailers out of business, store managements are looking to the Internet to increase their customer base. Kipp speaks to Dina Saleh, Co-owner, Business Development and Operational Director at S*uce, about buying clothes online, and why it hasn't taken off in the region.
July 19, 2009 2:01 by Dana El Baltaji
Kipp: Do you have an online shopping facility?
Saleh: No, right now our website is outdated. We’re currently updating it. It should be re-launched in the next month and a half; the second phase of the re-launch will be incorporating an online shopping facility.
When it’s done, we want our website to provide a point of difference, and it needs to be as real as possible for our customers. We don’t want it to be just another website.
Kipp: Has the financial crisis instigated the website’s ‘phase two’?
Saleh: No. Phase two has been in the plans for two year. We knew the online shopping facility will be added eventually, but we were focused on our stores. Dubai had such high tourist numbers – and the tourists would visit regularly anyway – so working on our online shopping capabilities wasn’t a pressing issue.
Are we moving faster because of the financial crisis? I don’t think that’s what’s driving us. I think that we’ve been working towards that anyway.
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2 Comments
Interesting!
Doing business is not a rocket science, but maintaining business profitability is an important factor in any business. I will maintain my business profitability with online business and search engine optimization a supplement to it.
any1 heard of BLUE BANANA one of my friend workED there ..those innocent customers paid for A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE (company’s tagline) and the site owner Vanished with the money leaving a IOU note.. now thats a memorable experience, plus with the recession going on i m playin safe to all fraudy online stores who provide services such as low quality ,late delivery, non refundable, no exchangable products for EVER INCREASED ONLINE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION