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Harrods enters cyberspace

Look for Harrods Department Store to enter the Internet fray. The London-based store is beginning to sell its goods globally on the Web through a joint venture with Otto Versand, one of the largest direct-mail companies. Harrods Online will service the world with its own brand merchandise as well as designer brands. The pilot launch collection, available prior to Christmas, will comprise 200 Harrods brand products. The launch will be supported by a catalog targeting more than 2.5 million households in North America. A U.K. launch is set for March 2000, with the rest of Europe and Japan online by mid-2000.

Canadian online merchants
have long haul ahead of them

In order for the Internet to become a more significant retail channel in Canada, e-tailers need to provide service and convenience to a larger more skeptical type of consumer. They also need to give consumers more than they expect, according to a study conducted by J.C. Williams Group, a retail consulting firm, in conjunction with BizRate.com, an e-commerce merchant ratings site. The data was taken from more than 800 Canadian e-shoppers at the point-of-sale, and reveals the difference in buying habits between Canadian and U.S. e-shoppers. Findings show that while early adopters of online shopping in Canada are relatively satisfied with their online buying experiences, there is a high degree of blind trust. So the question is whether consumers will be loyal to their online retailer in the long run. Online shopping seems to be less popular in Canada than in the United States—19.5% of Canadian e-shoppers Canada are first-time buyers vs. 9.5% in the United States. "Due to their relatively small capitalization, Canadian online retailers will in many cases be akin to smaller specialty stores competing against larger category killers—a service strategy may be the only way that they can effectively compete,'' stated the report.

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