Small Market Retailier Uses Online Shopfront To Support Its Retail Chain
Online Shopping cannot be called a new trend in the shopping world or Internet. It is probably, one of the initial developments of the Web. Marketeers have long known the viability of providing an Online Shopfront to sell stuff directly to customers.
Online shops serve as a virtual hub for buying the commodities from the comfort of our homes. There will not be the disturbances from other buyers and there will be no sweet talk from salesmen trying to push products. Customer can read through the information given, watch images provided and even browse through the reviews provided by previous buyers. Many of these online shops also provide for comparison between similar products, so that wise choices can be made.
Easy access, knowledgeable decisions, absence of queues, easy payment etc are some of the face-marks of a shopping cart.
On the other side, businesses can feature all of their products in a virtual atmosphere. No physical shop fronts, storage or sales force is required. It is not even required to have own products and this has been demonstrated by various pioneering sites such as amazon.com or ebay.com, which of course follow different methods and have evolved through years.
Even businesses with own production units or even retailers having only sales units can support their business ventures by providing an option for customers to order and pay online. This will very adequately supplement their marketing efforts, by providing additional orders, which can be executed by the existing system that they have.
This is particularly effective in small markets like Kerala, where local, trusted retailers can leverage on their brand image and cater to their online customers effectively. Kerala is especially noted for a globally distributed community, who still maintain a very strong link with the motherland.
Quilon Radio Services (QRS) has been a leading player in the home appliances retailing market of Kerala, for over 60 years. The have about 20 branches spread over the state and have plans for more. The management of QRS wisely decided to supplement their efforts by an online presence. A website with product catalogs was started and the visitor patterns were observed. Later the catalog was converted into a full-fledged online shopping facility, with a shopping cart and online payment facility.
The cleverest part was in positioning this effort as a facility for the Non Resident Indians (NRIs) to send various appliances to their relatives in Kerala, during various occasions. Promotions were made in traditional media, so as to reach the target crowd and the project clicked. NRIs instantly recognized this as a viable option, supported by the credibility of a trusted brand, they had known at home.
As expected, there was demand for LCD Televisions, Mobile Phones, Split Air Conditioners (A/Cs), Digital Cameras and various other product lines.
QRS regards this as the beginning of an opportunity and wishes to tap the market by starting new branches in Kerala and enhancing the online presence by adding features to its current website.
