Orvis Company

In an interview at this week's National Retail Federation Big Show in New York City, Kendall Vinson, senior director of information technology at Orvis, a fly-fishing and outdoor gear and apparel brand, discussed how the company has partnered with cloud computing company NetSuite to help it quickly onboard new business units, house customer and product data, and…

The Orvis Company announced the launch of its iPhone and Android rich apps powered by mobile commerce provider Digby. The rich apps complement all of Orvis’ cross-channel touchpoints including retail stores, e-commerce, catalogs, and a mobile-optimized website.

Sunderland, Vermont --The Orvis Company has launched iPhone and Android rich apps powered by mobile commerce provider Digby. The apps complement all of Orvis’ cross-channel touch points including retail stores, e-Commerce, catalogs, and a mobile-optimized website, which is also powered by Digby. The Orvis iPhone and Android apps, powered by the Digby Mobile Platform, provide features that include search and browse capabilities to buy merchandise through the enhanced user interface, categories that are easy and efficient to navigate and complete site search capability and store locators to make mobile shopping effortless.

Redcats USA, a multi-channel, web-driven home shopping leader, announced today that Brad Wolansky has been appointed CEO of The Golf Warehouse. He will be a member of the Redcats USA Executive Team.

This month, I thought I’d share some of my favorite e-mails and explain why they’re tops in my book. As you read them, think about how you might incorporate these tactics in your own e-mail programs. Orvis and Customer Reviews Many catalogers include customer product reviews on their sites. It’s a great way to take advantage of Web 2.0 by integrating customer content online. Plus, shoppers place great value on reviews in the shopping process — this user-generated content should increase sales. If you have customer reviews on your site, make sure the members of your e-mail list are aware of this feature. Orvis

A constant theme heard throughout the recent ACCM conference in Kissimmee, Fla., was how catalogers can no longer survive with the catalog alone. They must cater to today’s multichannel customer if they hope to thrive, which means effectively selling on the Web. A session led by Margaret Moraskie, vice president of e-commerce of the women’s apparel catalog Boston Proper, and Brad Wolansky, vice president of global e-commerce of the outdoor sporting goods and apparel catalog Orvis, offered up several tips on how to effectively sell merchandise online. Here are seven of their tips on adapting catalog practices to the Web. 1. Return to

Subject lines carry a lot of weight. They drive open rates and results. After e-mail recipients look at your “from” line and recognize your company or service, the next thing they do is look at the subject line to see what might interest them. Let’s examine some of the latest techniques for getting customers past the e-mail client and into your site. Free to Use ‘Free’ In the past, marketers were warned not to use the word “free” in a subject line. The concern was that it triggered spam filters and reduced chances of delivery. Since “free” is the most powerful four-letter

In a session during the recent NEMOA conference in Portland, Maine, that had catalogers ducking for cover, Bill LaPierre, senior vice president of the Millard Group Inc., list brokerage division, provided a veteran’s critique of several catalogs he recently observed and of the catalog/multichannel business at large. His overall finding? Today’s catalogs are boring! LaPierre pulled no punches as he picked apart catalogs, referring to them as “tofu” (lacking in flavor) or “steak” (full of flavor), though he found plenty more tofu than steak. He provided tips primarily focusing on creative design. * Adapt, make timely changes to your catalog. LaPierre praised Cuddledown’s

In a session during last week’s NEMOA conference in Portland, Maine, Lois Boyle, president/chief creative officer at catalog consulting firm J. Schmid & Assocs., said that the customer experience is the key factor in developing a successful catalog company. Stressing that in today’s world you’re more in competition with consumers’ time than with their pocketbooks, Boyle provided a few ways to help your catalog break through the clutter of everyday life. Included below are four of those tips: 1. Develop a schemata (customer’s frame of reference). Calling it the “curse of knowledge,” Boyle said that many catalogers know too much. “We get so close

TORONTO — For a good many years, I’ve periodically covered the Canadian catalog/direct/multichannel market — all, of course, from a U.S. perspective. Dating back to the early 1990s, I reported on catalogers’ experiences in expanding into Canada, usually focusing on brand-new efforts. More often than not, the results looked encouraging, the outlook appeared great. Most surveys showed that Canada was the number 1 logical choice for international expansion among catalogers. Yet, here we are in 2007, and finding catalogers that do any sort of truly significant business in Canada is just about as challenging as getting a ticket to a Stanley Cup playoff hockey