Wasted millions: brand-name manufacturers overlook sales opportunities at online shops
75 per cent of consumers expect to find the biggest choice at eBay
Brand-name manufacturers open up niche markets
Respondents expected to find the widest range at ebay.de.
eBay, Quelle and Otto offer the widest ranges
brand-name manufacturers can increase their sales considerably by offering their products on Internet marketplaces, and some branded product makers have already increased their turnover by millions that way. This is because more than two-thirds of consumers associate famous shopping sites such as eBay, Quelle and Otto with a broad range of products. Further sales opportunities beckon for brand-name manufacturers at more specialised platforms. Take chemist Schlecker for instance: in the six-month period up to the end of 2008, the number of people visiting this niche provider had risen by 83 per cent. These are the findings of the representative novomind survey "Marketplace ranges".
Other marketplaces are also attractive to brand-name manufacturers
As schlecker.de shows, specialised providers attract large numbers of consumers. A total of 85 per cent of online shoppers identify the chemist’s chain as a place to buy health care products. Brand-name manufacturers in the health care industry should make use of this kind of hidden market potential by integrating themselves into these niche platforms. The possibilities which this opens up to all sorts of branded product manufacturers can be found in surprising areas. Take food, for example. Karstadt has been offering a wide range of foods in its department stores for years, but not even one in three shoppers expects to find food at the karstadt.de online shop. Chemist chain Schlecker is another matter altogether. Half of online shoppers assume they can fill their shopping trolleys there with ready-made meals, jams and muesli. As these examples demonstrate, brand-name manufacturers’ marketing departments would be well advised to look carefully at customer perception on the Internet. If you can track virtual customers, then you will be able to open up new sales opportunities.
novomind iPOEM™ enables marketplace integration
Aside from choosing the best possible marketplace, brand-name manufacturers also face the considerable challenge of integrating themselves technically into the partner platforms they select. In practical terms, this integration demands interfaces that are as simple as possible in order to guarantee smooth selling processes. The standardised package of consulting and software, novomind iPOEM™, provides a comprehensive solution to this challenge.
Background information
The survey entitled "Marketplace ranges - which Internet marketplaces offer brand-name manufacturers the greatest sales potential?" presents the results of an online questionnaire carried out on behalf of novomind AG. This first comprehensive survey on the subject looks at which products online shoppers expect to find at ten leading Internet marketplaces, and where they expect to find the widest range. The results were related to a range of target groups using various socio-demographic factors. A total of 1,009 online shoppers took part in the survey.
novomind AG: innovative software for professional customer communication and Internet systems
The novomind Services division specialises in modern software solutions for electronic telecommerce (e-commerce). Consulting, implementation and operational support in the fields of e-shopping, PIM and marketplace integration together lead to tailor-made e-commerce solutions for novomind customers - manufacturer-independent, individual and successful.
Integratability, scalability and availability of systems are as much a prime focus, therefore, as pragmatic project management and fast software-development cycles.
novomind’s technological partners include: Intershop, IBM, Oracle and hybris.
The novomind clientele includes: Der Club Bertelsmann, buecher.de, Otto-Group, Mexx, Ernsting’s family, Media-Saturn, s.Oliver and Weltbild.
The Products division portfolio features, among other things, the novomind Self Service Suite™. This software package contains all the necessary communication modules a customer service centre needs, based on a central knowledge database.