Lets Go Shopping! What's Cool in Commerce

The past 12-18 months have brought accelerated innovation driven by Web 2.0 concepts and technologies, evolving user behavior, and fierce competitive creativity which have redefined the rules of the online retailing.

I am a firm believer that you must stay abreast of the latest technologies, strategies, and best practices in order to respond accordingly. Here is my list of Web 2.0 sites that are transforming the shopping experience by making it more interactive, engaging, and social

Awareness - Do you have a MySpace page? Your competition probably does!

• Moosejaw has over 6200 BFFs (that’s Best Friends Forever for you non-millenials) - http://www.myspace.com/moosejawmountaineering - and a facebook page as well - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2383739005
• PacSun - http://www.myspace.com/pacsun
• Vans Warped Tour - http://www.myspace.com/warpedtour

Product Discovery and browsing

• like.com - product discovery by presenting products, 100% visual
• browseGoods.com - zooming in and zooming out to find products
• gifts.com - gift selection by persona

Web 2.0 Social Shopping (and browsing)

• lemonade.com - social shopping; host your own store
• kaboodle.com - social shopping network based on personal preferences/characteristics
• myshoppal.com - social shopping network based on personal preferences/characteristics (FAP score)
• Threadless.com - design a t-shirt, submit to the community for their votes
• Netflix - share movie favorites and wishlists with friends
• Tag Clouds: Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/gp/tagging/cloud/ref=tag_dpp_pt_icld/103-6825928-7295855

Select and Configure - Web 2.0 Outfit creators, MVM, Web 2.0 Configurators, Productivity Tools

• LL Bean Mix n Match Bedding - http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=flannel-bedding-mix-match&categoryId=8634&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1
• Niemen Marcus - outfit creator: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/templates/Entry.jhtml?itemId=cat12750731&parentId=cat000003&masterId=cat000001
• oli Look Book -- http://www.oli.co.uk/Web/main/productdisplay.asp?An=673&A=52E015%5F12&N=426+4294967190&Au=P%5FMasterItem&Nu=P%5FMasterItem&Ns=P%5FColour%7C0%7C%7CP%5FSize%7C0&merch=Oli%20Customer%20Favourites
• Weekenders - dress the mannequin (similar to mvm) - http://www.weekendersusa.com/#
• Sears My Virtual Model - http://www.sears.com/shc/s/MvmControllerCmd?storeId=10153&vid=99&adCell=A12&adCell=A9
• myshape.com - Shop by body type
• zafu.com - Find the perfect jeans
• Home Depot: Design Tools: http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=Know+How%2fDesign+Tools&BV_SessionID=@@@@1080583293.1177012970@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchaddkjmkeejjcgelceffdfgidglo.0&MID=9876
• IKEA: Room Planners: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/rooms_ideas/splashplanners.html
• Shaw Flooring: http://shawfloors.com/Hub/Register.aspx?caller=%2fTryOnAFloor.aspx%3fmode%3duyo%26requestingPage%3d%2fFlash%2fyourownroom.swf&activity=&entitytype=&entityid=&entityDataType=
• Sherwin Williams: ever wondered what different paint combinations would look like? -- Launch 'Color visualizer', paint an interior, and pick a room.... http://www.sherwin-williams.com/do_it_yourself/
• Hunter Douglas: Click on imagine design center --> http://www.hunterdouglas.com/index.jsp
• Sears Manage my Home: http://www.managemyhome.com/mmh/common/Benefits.action?eid=HomeFeature

Revolutionize the Experience - Web 2.0 based shopping using Flash

• O2 - http://www.o2online.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/O2CompareHandsetsView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&flowType=P&categoryId=10051&wcmArea=/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Shop/Phones/Compare+phones/&wcmArea2=/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Shop/Phones/Compare+phones/
• Hollister (lifestyle experience) - http://www.hollisterco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category1_10251_10201_12555_-1_12551
• Abercrombie (slider bar across bottom, etc) - http://www.abercrombie.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category1_10051_10901_12216_-1_12202
• endless.com -- Web 2.0 based browsing (left preferences)
• Nau - https://www.nau.com/homepage/index.jsp#/homepage/index&0
• Burton - Dynamic shopping experience that matches brand's personality - http://www.burton.com/Gear/Default.aspx#/mens/boards/matrix/boardMatrix.swf
• Ann Taylor - rich media

Good Web 2.0 Checkout and Carts

• Abercrombie, Hollister & Co, Philosophy.com

Social Commerce

• Bass Pro Shops (Customer Reviews, Consumer content, forums, brag board) http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?partNumber=&CMID=&langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&pageView=image&deptId=000000000&categoryId=000000000&currentPage=0&jumpToPage=1&subdeptId=000000000
• Scholastic: (message boards, forums, blogs) - http://community.scholastic.com/scholastic?category.id=adultBoards
• Moosejaw Community: The Jaw - http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept_id=77

Productivity Tools - Utilitarian Experience:

• Staples downloadable easy button: http://www.stapleseasybutton.com/site.php

3D Internet

• Chevy launched the 2007 Avalanche using this 3D site (a very effective use of 3D) http://www.chevrolet.com/avalanche/launch/
• Web 2.0 Design & Build to Order
• Timberland: http://www.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?showConfigurator=true&productId=2050977
• NikeID: http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeid/index.jhtml?sitesrc=uslanding#home

Other

• Natural Language search (have to be invited) - http://www.powerset.com/
• http://www.squidoo.com/browse/homepage
• User Improved Search - http://www.sproose.com/
• Ralph Lauren Window shopping - http://www.news.com/2300-1038_3-6105277-1.html
• An index of other Web 2.0 sites http://www.shambles.net/web2/
  

I’d love to hear from you – what are your favorite sites?