December 04, 2007

Woolworths eyes online boost from customer reviews

Retailer expects e-commerce tool to drive sales

By Computerworld UK reporter

Woolworths has bolstered its e-commerce website with a “collective intelligence” tool that lets shoppers on the site assign a value to product recommendations and related purchases from other shoppers.

The retailers is using the site bolt-on from Avail Intelligence to offer real-time recommendations from the community for each customer browsing the site, and based on usage so far says it expects the service to deliver “immediate and measurable” improvements in conversion rates and average order values per customer.

"We have already noted improvements to the customer journey, with positive customer feedback on the recommendations generated. This has been particularly strong on toys, which is an extremely important area for Woolworths during the Christmas period,” said Mark Batty, the retailer’s online marketing manager.

Currently multi-channel sales make up 5% of Woolworths’ total revenues, but this can grow up to 10% at busy periods like Christmas.

“Understanding our customers and their precise needs is critical to our online strategy and Avail’s technology enables us to present relevant recommendations at the right time in the buying process – something that our customers are already asking for,” said Batty.

“In turn this should enable us to hit key performance targets in terms of increased basket size and repeat purchases.”

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