COLUMNIST –EUROPEAN VIEW
To retail or to e-tail?
That is the question, says ALASTAIR TEMPEST.
Regulators are
Buying online is increasingly clearance sales online before This makes amusing reading
popular. In the UK, for example, buckling under (or maybe they and might even encourage the
firm believers in
IMRG (the industry body for did . . . in which case I missed potential customer to use the
global e-tailing) estimates that them, damn it!). link and go to the other
the theory that
online purchases grew by 16 per The beneficial, knock-on company.
consumers
cent in November, while high effects of this growing trend in If nothing else, it makes the
street sales dropped by more online sales for our sector are website seem . . . let’s say . . . a
benefit from
than five per cent. obvious. bit silly.
We are waiting with Postal services and logistics, Finally, after the high profile
more regulation!
expectations for the December fulfilment, database excitement of last year’s
figures –which are likely to show management, etcetera, are all Google/DoubleClick merger
an even higher growth rate for benefiting. which got both the Federal Trade
online sales. Some issues continue to Commission in the US (in
In many countries, the high cause a few moments of November 2007) and the
street retailers started their embarrassment –and rather European Parliament (in
winter sales before Christmas. than ignoring these, we should February 2008) holding
Heavy discounts were look at them as challenges to hearings and making noises
noticeable. learn from. about behavioural advertising
Living in Belgium denies me First, there are websites that and profiling, things seemed to
the pleasure of an almost restrict their sales to a country go quiet.
constant round of sales –Belgian or region. However, good/bad stories
sales laws strictly confine sales No problem there (unless never go away, they just drop
to a few weeks after the new you are doing some predatory out of sight for a while –so
year and in the summer. pricing, in which case beware expect a big paper from the EU
Discounts are not as heavy as –the anti-competition regulators in April, which is scheduled to
those in some of the may roll up on your doorstep). kick the dust up again (watch
neighbouring countries, but it However, consumers get this space!)
was clear that –recession or no (rightly) very annoyed if they go
recession –the bargain hunters through the whole ‘buying Regulating mood
were out in force, and trying to experience’ to the very last line This year, the European
find a ticket for the Eurostar which says billing/delivery Commission has promised to
train from Brussels to address –country, and you find look seriously into all these
London was almost the website only accepts one issues.
impossible! country. Easy enough to put a There are European
note on this up-front: ‘We regret Parliament elections in June
Sales trend we cannot deliver outside and a change of the EU’s top
We have also seen country X’ or, ‘We only accept dogs (the commissioners) in
some very interesting credit cards from country Y’. December, so the regulators are
experiments as Second, we hear there are in the regulating mood and they
traditional retailers tried still e-tailers who don’t like to are firm believers in the theory
to off-load stocks online. provide a fixed price for postage. that consumers benefit from
The start of an ‘online As consumers point out, more regulation!
sales’ trend, in a everyone else can, so why can’t This just leaves me the space
manner of speaking. the website they’re surfing? to wish you all success, good
Perhaps some of Third, do have a look at your health . . . and may we all
the high value privacy policy statement: it is survive 2009!
quality victims of remarkable how many of these
the recession, are incorrect, inadequate, or
like Wedgwood non-existent.
or Waterford There are cases of a privacy
Alastair Tempest is director
glass, should policy from one company which general, FEDMA (Federation of
have is a cut and stick of its European Direct and
considered competitor’s privacy policy! Interactive Marketing).
www.dmi-news.com January/February 2009 39
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