The fashionable rise of M-Commerce

E-Commerce, the buying and selling of products over electronic systems was dubbed the next generation of sales. Now comes M-Commerce, the buying and selling of products over mobile and smartphones. In the fashion accessories arena,

M-Commerce is quickly gaining in popularity.

Net-a-Porter’s accessories buying manager, Sasha Sarokin, told WWD that with m-commerce, more “everyday” and “wear-now” accessories, like friendship bracelets or small pendant necklaces, are big sellers. Higher-ticket items sell as well, particularly those that pack a strong photographic punch. Even smaller brands sell quite well if they are visual, through either e- or m-commerce.

Sarokin adds that customers will often gain access to images of a product initially through one of the retailer’s two mobile applications—its magazine for the iPad provides fresh editorial content weekly as well as shopping access to the featured products, while its What’s New iPhone app is primarily a shopping vehicle, with a version of the magazine. If they don’t decide to buy from the app, they might follow it up with an e-commerce purchase later.

Swarovski is another brand eager to capture the m-commerce market. In pursuit of a younger demographic—18- to 25-year-olds, specifically—Swarovski launched its first m-commerce app Aug. 1 to coincide with the debut of its Hello Kitty collection—a 27-piece group retailing from $60 for a charm to $650 for an evening bag. “It’s really tailor-made for this group, as they rely on social media, Facebook and tweeting,” says Livia Marotta, Swarovski North America’s head of communications and public relations.

Digital magazines are quickly establishing market share in the online publishing world, and the possibilities of digital advertising - the simple click on an advert can take take you straight to a designer's shopping page - means the direct route to consumers is becoming increasingly shorter.

Image: Net-a-porter iphone app
Source: WWD