zondag 30 juni 2013

Online mode: klantentrouw

Online modewinkels moeten zich de komende jaren vooral focussen op klantentrouw. Dat zegt ecommerce and retail expert Bonno van der Putten van Monarch Capital Partners op Innovation Uncensored eFashion. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat crosschannel consumenten twee keer zoveel besteden dan de gemiddelde offline klanten. Internetkopers zijn echter ook het minst trouw. Verder blijft nog steeds het fysieke verkooppunt in de mode branche favoriet: zo’n 75% van de Europese bevolking koopt nog steeds bij voorkeur kleding en accessoires in het centrum van de stad. In West-Europa is dat zelfs 90 procent, alhoewel het percentage wel snel daalt. Elf tot zeventien procent van de offline groep is echter puur winkeltrouw, concludeert van der Putten. Bij de internetkoper ligt dat percentage echter tussen de acht en tien. Volgens van der Putten moet de modemarkt nu snel van push naar pull. Daarbij is het van belang om een goede band met de klant te hebben. Alleen zo komt de retailer erachter wat die wil en hoe de klant het beste kan worden bediend. Het einde van de fysieke winkel is dan ook zeker nog niet in zicht. Ondanks de concurrentie van e-commerce blijven stadscentra en winkelstraten voorname plaatsen voor de consument om aankopen te doen De Nederlandse online modemarkt is in zijn totaliteit goed voor € 9 miljard. Veel webwinkels zien dan ook de omzet stijgen. Maar de Offline ketens met een crosschannel strategie realiseren nog steeds de meeste groei, aldus van der Putten. Het wordt ook steeds makkelijker om producten te verkopen via Twittter, Facebook of Instagram. Gebruikers van deze social media krijgen meer betalingsmogelijkheden bij een directe aankoop vanuit de timeline, zegt van der Putten Chirpify bijvoorbeeld lanceerde recentelijk het sociale betalen. Tot nu toe kon alleen worden betaald door de koppeling van PayPal-accounts, maar nu kan dat ook met diverse typen creditcards. De verkoper heeft hierdoor met veel minder transactiekosten te maken, aldus van der Putten. Chirpify zelf hoopt door de uitbreiding een breder publiek te bereiken en het in-stream betalen meer naam en bekendheid te geven. Het sociale betalen staat eigenlijk nog in de kinderschoenen en is nog niet zo populair als eerder was gehoopt. Tot nu toe werd de dienst vooral gebruikt door merken als Adidas, sportteams, artiesten en modellen zoals in Nederland Djamila Celina Melcherts om bijvoorbeeld eigen label producten en merchandising te verkopen. Door de stijgende populariteit van online winkelen in de Europese Unie groeit het aantal elektronische betalingen wel hard. De verwachting uit onderzoek is dat in 2020 zo tegen de 177 miljard transacties plaatsvinden terwijl dat in 2011 nog ongeveer 91 miljard transacties was, bijna de helft minder. Het totaal aantal transacties in retail wordt verwacht te stijgen van de huidige 405 miljard naar 440 miljard in 2020. Van der Putten verklaart die toename door het verwachte economische herstel en de groei van particuliere bestedingen in de Europese Unie. Het aandeel elektronische betalingen in de totale markt groeit daarbij fors, stelt van der Putten. Dat komt natuurlijk vooral door de opkomst van e-commerce, waarin bijna alle betalingen giraal gedaan worden De ontwikkelingen op het gebied van elektronisch betalen gaan dan ook snel, zegt van der Putten. Met jaarlijks ruim driehonderd transacties per inwoner wordt er in Nederland relatief veel elektronisch betaald. Alleen in Luxemburg en Finland ligt het aantal elektronische betalingen per inwoner hoger.

woensdag 26 juni 2013

Carrefour Considering Sale Of Chinese & Taiwanese Businesses

Carrefour
, the second-largest retailer in the world, is reportedly exploring the sale of its Chinese and Taiwanese businesses, according to reports. If the rumors are true this time, the sale could include a possible initial public offering in Hong Kong or a combination of some of those assets with another company, says Bonno van der Putten, retail industry expert from Private Equity firm Monarch Capital Partners. While an IPO route could represent around $1 billion (€771 million) in funds for the retailer, plans are said to be still very much at a preliminary stage, with no banks engaged as of yet and Carrefour refusing to comment on any speculation. Carrefour has recently exited several non-strategic markets to reduce its debts and raise cash. The French group has been struggling for some time in Europe, partly due to its reliance on the hypermarket format, which has fallen out of favour with time-pressed consumers. The retailer has also been struggling in China of late, falling behind rival Auchan, which operates a joint venture with Taiwanese retail group Ruentex. Auchan launched an IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2011, which raised $1.1 billion to help further Auchan's expansion efforts in the country. If this is true I believe this could be positive for Carrefour`, said Bonno van der Putten. `I expect more of the same; in some extent it’s a dog, but with the new management no well in place, and a lot of pressure I see a turnaround on the horizon. This move is in line with Carrefour’s plans to exit non-core markets to focus on struggling operations in other countries and cut cost and boost profits. The company is refocusing its international strategy on regions where it already holds a significant position and where it can become market leader”. Van der Putten states that international expansion is a high risk high reward proposition, and for the world’s largest retailers as Carrefour, Walmart and the METRO Group it is absolutely necessary for growth. Sometimes they get it wrong, more often they are getting it right. Both Walmart and Carrefour have pulled out of Russia, says van der Putten. In addition, Walmart withdrew from Germany and South Korea; Carrefour already left Algeria and Thailand; Tesco left Japan and is currently in the process of withdrawing from the United States; and, Metro left Morocco. Not every entry into a foreign country is successful. Local laws and restrictions sometimes can create unforeseen challenges. Sometimes there are local market dynamics that make good supply chain strategies impossible to operate " But remember that China is a very important market for Carrefour. The country's current economic situation may pose some difficulties for retailers, but that does not prevent a continued expansion of international retailers in China," van der Putten said . According to van der Putten, some months ago Carrefour still wanted to move ahead with expansion in 30 new Chinese cities in the next three years, especially cities in the central and western areas. "Hypermarkets in big cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, have been well developed. Retail giants will look for emerging markets in central and western areas, where they can take advantage of lower costs and rising purchasing power," said van der Putten Last year, Carrefour said it was pulling out of Colombia, Singapore and Greece. Those markets are not the first that the French supermarket chain has left. In 2010, Carrefour sold its business in Thailand for 868 million euros ($1.14 billion). In 2009, the company withdrew from the Russian market, which experts had seen as a promising one. In 2005, Carrefour announced the sale of its operations in Japan and Mexico. In 2006, it sold its stores in South Korea.

vrijdag 21 juni 2013

Instagram users have already posted over 5 Million Videos worlwide

Instagram video appears to be a hit. Users in the US and Europe uploaded more than 5 million videos during the first 24 hours of availability. In the first 8 hours alone, the app saw one year’s worth of video uploaded, 40 hours per minute when Uruguay beat Nigeria in the Confederations Cup in Brazil In Europe a number of celebrities ranging from Daft Punk to Victoria’s Secret super model Candice Swanepoel and even more fashion brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Wild Fox are already using Instagram video. Also Dutch model Djamila Celina Melcherts, one of the most recognized faces in the modeling world from prestigious brands and campaigns including L’ Oreal, Otazu and Hunkemöller, is already using the new Instagram video services. Huge brands such as Cisco, GE and Gap have started posting videos on the service, as have many major football sports teams, including Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Facebook announced Instagram video at a press event at its headquarters last week. Instagram users can create 3- to 15-second videos, add one of 13 video-specific filters and then share them with friends. Similar in many ways to what Instagram already does for photos, videos show up in the feed alongside photos.

donderdag 20 juni 2013

Making of the Photo shootings and Video with Djamila Celina Melcherts

Making of the Photo shootings and Video with Djamila Celina Melcherts DCM Productions, a fast-rising new media production team, talks about making Djamila Celina Melcherts's latest photo shootings and videos. by Robert Peace Talent Spotlight It isn't everyday that you get the chance to do shootings and make a music video for the likes of Djamila Celina Melcherts, the famous Dutch catwalk model and Vince Frickel, the producer. So when the opportunity knocked, the team at DCM Productions jumped. With Djamila’s latest shootings for haute couture labels Jean Paul Gaultier and Jimmy Choo and the likes, producer Vince Frickel, together with director and corporate venture capitalist Bonno van der Putten soon had storyboard ideas dancing in their heads. "As I listened, I wrote down images I saw and started to piece them together," says Vince Frickel. "The first thing I saw was a woman reaching over a man in bed and the imagery of his desire to escape. That feeling-the intensity of confinement-informed the whole story line and the photo shootings. "We liked the fact that there weren't a whole lot of rules associated with the making," says Matt, Vince’s assistant. "There was free thinking to the photo shootings and video." And since there was no client approval to wrestle with, the pair skipped right to a detailed shot list and scheduled a shoot for the weekend. A few intense and sleepless days later, the shootings and video were shot, edited and uploaded for approval by Djamila Celina, Bonno van der Putten and her management at Monarch Capital Partners. It was worth all the trouble and the wait for the team. Out of hundreds of shots and video entries, the experience, shares behind-the-scenes moments were approved and things could get going RP: What about these shootings and video; did you think it would appeal to Djamila Celina Melcherts? Matt: Familiar with Djamila Celina's work, we kept focused matching Djamila’s looks and movements to shootings and beats and maintaining the storylines. I think we were just hoping to create the story that complemented the overall tone of the things Djamila Celina and Bonno van der Putten wanted. Frickel: Ideally, it would have been incredible for her to watch it and just say, "Yes. They got it." Honestly, we didn't know if it would appeal to her. The shootings and video are different from the types we usually release, but we were hoping something fresh might grab their attention. RP: Were the logistics of the shootings difficult ? Matt: We filmed part of it at the beach and Matt’s house; and the woods behind the house; and several different roads and streets for the several sequences. It was an intense few days. Frickel: We used the shot list to make sure we got every shot we wanted since our minds were usually on more than one thing. The low light sensitivity on that camera was absolutely incredible and really allowed us to shoot and film Djamila in several scenes with clarity and precision. I couldn't believe how smooth and effective those shots came out. RP: You shot this over a weekend-ostensibly so that it didn't spill into your already punishing 9-to-5 workload. Work hard, play hard and all that. But did the tight timeframe create its own set of challenges? Matt: When we were just about done with the shootings and filming, we realized at the last second we needed one more shot of Djamila Celina standing in the beach road with the car. Frickel: That scene was FREEZING. It was so cold that evening. When we weren't in the middle of a take, everyone on set was jumping up and down or putting their hands in front of the lights to stay warm. I felt horrible for Djamila Celina and Bonno van der Putten, present there the whole time, who had to put their bare, frozen hands out there for hours, take after take. RP: What do you think about the result? Matt: The whole experience was a very good photo shooting, video-creative and very nicely executed. That beach and party scenes were probably exactly what Team Monarch Capital was looking for. Frickel: I agree. I think the party scene "sealed the deal." The fashion awards presentations by Djamila Celina were interesting as well. It is funny how many similar scenes there are in the video. RP: Was it all worth it? Would you do it again? Matt: Absolutely. It was an amazing experience. We got to work with some incredible talent and create photo shoots and a video for an enormously famous model and actress. We absolutely loved the opportunity. Frickel: It inspired me to build the team, a team which we would like to use again in the future. It was a great opportunity. We plan on doing more shootings in the future. DCM Productions is a full-service, independent production company based in Amsterdam, Holland that focuses on creating high quality videos for commercial, corporate or private use. Our work covers a broad spectrum-from television and web-based productions to informational and promotional photos and videos. This includes creative works, such as photos, short films and music and corporate videos. Photo by Mark Meijering Monarch Capital Parters is one of Europe’s fastest growing investment management companies, focusing on tech, new media, brand management and entertainment .

dinsdag 18 juni 2013

Pop-up shops revitalize retail sector

As shoppers rein in their spending habits and turn to online retailers, high streets around Europe have been hit hard. In Britain, one in eight shops is empty. On the continent one in ten shops and counting. With high rents in London and a lack of credit from banks making it hard for small businesses to get in to the high street, pop-ups have become a solution for some. On the Kings Road in West London, there is a new boutique for shoppers to explore where one can indulge in a little retail therapy with everything from one of a kind shoe designs to personalised whisky flasks. These are tough times to start a small business in Europe especially for retailers. High rents and a lack of available bank loans make it harder to get a presence on the high street. These small businesses have found an innovative solution - popping up for just two weeks. Retail experts, Monarch Capital Partners, encourage people to launch businesses despite tough economic times and now, it is bringing them to their customers. Bonno van der Putten, Managing Director from Monarch Capital Partners, explained: "We've got lots of business that want to meet customers and make sales. We have helped over 150 businesses since January get onto the high street and in retail shopping centres. They have lots of benefits of going on to the high street and shopping centres. They make sales and meet their customers. Some of them have been trading online for a while without ever meeting their customers." Vince Frickel, who runs VL Designs Ltd - a vintage themed online clothing label, said just a week popping up in Kings Road and Westfield have already boosted his business. "From a personal perspective, it has allowed me to test out different products, so I got to speak to people, find out what they liked, which you don't get sitting behind a screen on a computer. This way I get to interact with my customers. I meet new customers and I get to know what works for them, it inspires you," said Frickel. The economic slump has led to shops closing across Britain and the continent so the scheme also aims to help breathe some life into dying high streets, and they hope the variety will encourage shoppers to part with their cash.
And it seems to be working.

vrijdag 14 juni 2013

Djamila Celina Melcherts; Jimmy Choo, Hunkemöller by Bonno van der Putten on Twitpic

Djamila Celina Melcherts; Jimmy Choo, Hunkemöller by Bonno... on Twitpic

Shopping tomorrow; “It’s early morning on the web’

Thanks to mobile devices, today’s shoppers have access to vast amounts of data in-store. They check prices, read reviews, comparison shop and get input from their social groups. This “Mobile Moment of Truth” is the new competitive battlefield for retailers, brands, apps and e-commerce pure plays, who are all competing to win this coveted consumer. During this interactive webinar, speaker and Managing Director Monarch Capital Partners, Mr. Bonno van der Putten, will present new research being conducted by that will explain why and how millennial consumers use mobile devices in-store, as well as how franchises and e-commerce merchants can fine-tune their brands’ mobile strategies to influence shoppers at this critical moment of decision making. Join us to learn: • Results of quantitative and ethnographic research • How mobile-informed shopping is evolving in scope and form • What tools and apps mobile-informed shoppers use • What information mobile-informed shoppers seek • Showrooming and its implications for franchises and brands • Winning strategies for franchises and brands It is clear, says van der Putten that retail is going through a period of flux. From big box stores to specialty shops to online vendors, everyone's trying to figure out how to survive or how to differentiate. It has become all about the ability to adapt as technology transforms the retail landscape. "As a shopper, your basic needs don't change," says Bonno van der Putten, Managing Director of Monarch Capital Partners and retail expert . "But your behavior is dependent on the technology that's around you." Monarch identifies 9 major trends its Future of Retail report that are part of the "seismic shift" changing the retail world, and provides examples of companies that are making an impact. New pressures are taking their toll on the industry, and retailers have to adapt if they want to survive. Competition is more intense than it has ever been. With all the new channels for selling that are now available, retailers have a huge number of ways to reach consumers. Bonno van der Putten has posted several great presentations about the future of retail. "A important part of the brands of yesterday will die," says van der Putten in one of his presentations. "Some with a bang and some slowly as if from an incurable wasting disease." In his management presentations, van der Putten lays out what retailers can do to survive. He says that you have to cut costs, relentlessly strive for the best customer service and optimize stores no matter how much it hurts, and that inventory control is "as important as breathing."