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Eddie Bauer's online store is one of the best in the business, consistently ranking among the world's best-performing Web sites. Fry has been part of this winning effort since 1996.
How do you reach the top of the eCommerce pack and, more importantly, how do you stay there? Evaluate and evolve, unceasingly. That is, constantly assess existing systems, the competitive landscape and technological advances, then adapt as needs change and opportunities arise.
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Fry's role in this process has evolved over the years, as Eddie Bauer's online operations have grown into a critical business unit for the company. At various times, Fry has provided Web site technical design and development, back-end integration, strategy, usability assessment, creative design, hosting, and other managed services. Here are a few examples:
Integrating Retail Channels
In the early days of eCommerce, retailers typically took online orders, printed them, and faxed them to a customer service representative who re-typed them into another system from which the order was filled. Fry integrated these systems for www.eddiebauer.com years ago and continues to help refine the order-fulfillment process to improve customer experience, increase sales, and cut costs. Fry helped Bauer integrate in-store and online gift certificates, for example, and created a sophisticated "electronic order blank" that checks inventory in real time and integrates online, in-store, and catalog orders.
Content Administration
Fry created an administrative tool that Eddie Bauer personnel use to upload content databases to developmental and live Web sites. This allows the company to make database changes in a test environment, conduct quality assurance evaluations, and move the changes to live servers - remotely, at any time, from a Web browser. The tool is scalable, so new database servers can be added as needed.
Seamless Customer Experience
Eddie Bauer, Eddie Bauer Home, Eddie Bauer Outlet, and Eddie Bauer Business-to-Business share a name, but they are distinct lines of business with different products and audiences. Working with these multiple divisions, Fry established and employed creative design and branding standards that ensure the online stores present a unified "look and feel" while enabling each business unit to speak to its distinct audience. Consumers move seamlessly from the Eddie Bauer Clothing & Gear site to Eddie Bauer Home, because they don't have to relearn navigation with each link or click their way back to the previous site. As a result, they are exposed to more products and the Bauer brand is reinforced. Under this design, the size of the average customer order increased, development costs declined, and content administration became more efficient.
Wireless Interface
Fry designed a special interface that allows Bauer managers to monitor their sites and access real-time information - such as current order volumes - via a Palm VII wireless device.
Assorted Tools for Online Customers
Fry has helped eddiebauer.com meet and exceed consumers' fast-rising expectations - and boost sales - with sophisticated shopping features. These include Instant Outfits, which shows ensembles, and Mix & Match, which allows consumers to create their own outfits online. Ready Made Beds, meanwhile, offers similar options for visitors browsing sheets, pillowcases, bedskirts, and comforters.
Long regarded as one of the industry's most successful online operations, this year Eddiebauer.com set new performance and availability standards. The site earned the fastest transaction speed of the 13 sites measured in the Keynote Systems Consumer E-Commerce Transaction Index, with times twice as fast as the index average. Site availability was consistently above 99%. (Read full story)
Year after year, sales continue to climb and industry recognition continues. The site received the 2001 WebAward as Best Retail Web Site. "The imaging is fabulous and the content and information structure are really customer oriented," the judges said. "This site walks the talk and delivers." It was recognized again with a WebAward in 2002. The site has also made Internet Retailer's Top 25 list, been named the No. 1 online apparel store by Gomez.com, and earned the title of Best Mature Player in the E-Retailer of the Year Awards.
The creed Eddie Bauer established for his company in 1920 is still very much in evidence today:
To give you such outstanding quality, value, service, and guarantee that we may be worthy
of your high esteem. ®
- Eddie Bauer, 1920
Winner of WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association in 2000, 2001 and 2002, this site was also named a Top 50 Retailing Site by Internet Retailer Magazine in 2002.
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