When I shop online I’m usually booking tickets or accommodation, but recently I had to purchase something from Abercrombie & Fitch and couldn’t help but notice how cleverly they’ve constructed their online shopping experience.
Let’s break it down.
Usability
The focus is very clearly on driving purchase behaviour, and the catalogue takes precedence. When browsing the catalogue you can choose to view “Classic Looks” for ideas on ensembles from their latest seasonal range. You can also create a wish list of your favourite items that you can save and return to purchase at a later date (which makes for a nice difference from your usual online cart abandonment).
The Classic Looks section allows users to horisontally scroll through a selection of current Abercrombie & Fitch ensembles.
You can listen to the official Abercrombie & Fitch playlist while browsing the site, something I think is great for hooking the user into the experience and bringing the online experience closer to their stores. Anyone who’s shopped at Abercrombie knows that their music is consistent across all stores, and can usually be heard long before you enter. It follows the classic tactic shopping malls use: Keeping the shopper locked into the shopping experience and forgetting the outside world. (Yes, indeed, there is a science to mall shopping. That’s why there are no clocks or views of the outside world. It’s no conspiracy theory – it’s fact, and it helps close the deal.)
The brand is famous for boosting models to stardom and the casting tab allows you to view their models. A bit of a perv factor, maybe, but still easy on the eye. You can also view the calendar of their road show (where you get to meet the models in person in one of their stores) and - for the daring - apply to become and A&F model yourself.
Look and feel
The look is simple, sophisticated, clean and in keeping with their classic All-American image. The navigation is intuitive and flows quite easily.
Abercrombie & Fitch are well-known for sticking to the principle that sex sells. Visuals are strong and eye-candy (for both the guys and gals) is at the order of the day.
Integration with other channels
Both the email subscription form and “Find us on Facebook” link are prominently displayed on their homepage, and more subtly on other pages on the site.
Now you knew I was going to slip something about email in here...
What really sold me on it was the promotional mailer for their summer series. The email, while very image-heavy, mirrors their site branding and acts as an extension of the website. With the call-to-action very prominent, it’s easy to be sucked seamlessly from the email, to the site, to the purchase; a well-rounded sales cycle and I great way to retain regular customers.
Subject line: Summer hotter than others, see why!
Text: SUMMER hotter than others | Shop Abercrombie & Fitch
Simple with a clear call-to-action and good use of segmentation - now that is an email that sells.
All in all, Abercrombie & Fitch have built an effective online shopping experience that I think other retailers can learn from.
Also check out:
