I’m an impulse buyer by nature and a serious one. Although it may not be my finest trait, I must say I have purchased plenty of amazing and completely worthwhile items. So I’m sure you can understand and maybe even share my mixed (but excited) feelings toward Allure Magazine’s e-commerce launch this past Wednesday on their website.
That’s right, no more turning to the shopping list at the back of the magazine or ripping pages out and taking them to your nearest beauty supplier. The BETA version, created by Quidsi parent of Soap.com and BeautyBar.com, allows shoppers to use a “Beauty Product Finder” which goes through a series of filters: products based on categories (hair, skin, makeup), Type, Concerns, Price, etc. The user clicks on all the necessary choices and is provided with a personalized list of beauty products. All products are touted as being tested by Allure editors as well as beauty experts.
Photo:WWD.com
The shopper is provided with a description and review for each product and the choice to “Buy it Now” or register with allure.com and save for a future purchase. The quality of the products sold to readers and shoppers alike is of upmost importance to Allure, “We went about this very carefully and very thoughtfully,” she said. “Our integrity and independence is our editorial identity. In the magazine we cover products that are advertised and products that aren’t. It’s the same with the e-commerce” said BeautyBar.com site director Katina Mountanos.
With all the clicking required to arrive at the product that you want the process may not sound so easy. However the magazine wanted a seamless experience for their e-commerce shoppers adding an additional function, according to wwd.com, “Shoppers reading an expert review can click a “buy now” button to purchase the product and a shopping cart will start to fill, following them through the Web site. At checkout, consumers are taken to Beautybar.com.” Now, that is true impulse shopping.
Of course I had to give the whole thing a try myself to see how it worked. The product finder is easy to use and gives you almost every option you can think of—making it fairly personal. The product description is detailed and generally explains the physicality of the product. I found the editor’s reviews helpful because they describe how the product will meet your specific needs.
If seamless is what the creators were going for, then seamless it is. As you read through the different pages on the site, majority but not all, products provide a link that leads to the purchase page. I look forward to future additions and am convinced that other beauty and fashion magazines will soon be offering the e-commerece experience to their readers.
By Kristianne Young
Source: wwd.com
