FingerShopping unfazed by HKTV eCommerce platform

HKTV began piloting its eCommerce platform yesterday with over 300 brands.Although HKTV presents more competition for existing eCommerce platforms like FingerShopping, an eCommerce platform launched last June by Convenience Retail Asia (CRA), which also owns Circle K, Christine Chan, senior e-business manager at the platform, sees HKTV's new online shopping portal in a positive light."We think HKTV opening up another eCommerce platform is a good thing because it makes the eCommerce pie bigger," Chan said."The more platforms there are, offering eCommerce options everywhere, the greater their power to build this habit and behaviour among consumers."FingerShopping currently features over 500 brands and more than 8,000 products.  While all of the platform's clients are registered businesses in Hong Kong, roughly 70% of FingerShopping's products are imports while the remaining 30% are local products."Our clients are retailers, distributors, parallel importers and traders.  Some are big companies, others are SMEs and distributors," Chan said.Chan added that the platform's sales revenue has increased by a few times since its launch and its target is to further increase revenue by several more times next year.She believes both online and offline retail stores can milk the mainland Chinese tourist market."We can try and capture this market where they can order products online and pick it up at Circle K when they visit Hong Kong.   This reduces the amount of time they spend on shopping, freeing them up for other tourist activities," Chan said.While Hong Kong is small compared to eCommerce markets in mainland China and around the world, Chan believes eCommerce is a must for retailers."The online shopping wave is already here.  It's not about whether you should be doing eCommerce but how you should be doing it," Chan said."If any Hong Kong retailer decides not to do eCommerce, they will lose an important part of their presence in the market."Large-scale promotional campaigns Two months ago, FingerShopping rolled out its first large-scale campaign where all Circle Ks displayed FingerShopping visuals.  Every day, a product discounted for the day is promoted.[gallery link="file" ids="78320,78322,78321"]An ongoing lucky draw can be entered by the customer for a chance to win freebies and coupons after registering with FingerShopping.  The freebies could then be redeemed at Circle K stores."This converts Circle K foot traffic into web traffic for FingerShopping, which is then directed back offline to Circle K stores for gift redemptions," Chan said.As part of the October campaign, billboard ads were placed in MTR stations containing QR codes which  passers-by could scan to become a VIP member of the platform.[gallery link="file" ids="78327,78326,78330"]Chan explains that the platform decided to launch the large-scale campaign over a year after the platform was launched because an O2O campaign on such a scale requires extensive staff training for Circle K cashiers."It's not just a purely online business, we also have offline retail stores.  We needed to conduct promotion-specific training sessions for front line staff to teach them how to help customers register for FingerShopping to take part in the lucky draws for FingerShopping and redeem freebies," she said.The Circle K campaign ended last month.Continuing the relay is a similar Saint Honore Cake Shop campaign unveiled on 24 November and runs until this week.  FingerShopping visuals are displayed in Saint Honore bakeries in which staff will help run a lucky draw.Apart from in-store ad visuals, FingerShopping only conducted digital marketing for the Saint Honore campaign by placing ads on Google, Yahoo, Apple Daily and social media.Omni-channel is the buzz word for Chan because while Circle K and St. Honore have well-established logistics and operations systems, FingerShopping is the newer online channel with web traffic."Customers don't think in terms of channels.  When they walk past a store, it reminds them of the brand.  Next, they might search on PC or mobile for that brand," she said."Omni-channel marketing fits the behaviour of consumers and it means you are always there and can catch customers wherever they are."Marketing through print - seasonal print ads and custom publishing:The platform has placed print ads for Christmas promoting its discounts and gift boxes.  It also placed online ads on  Facebook, Yahoo and Google for the season.Print plays another role in FingerShopping's marketing mix - in the form of a custom publication.Since its launch, FingerShopping publishes a magazine every two or three weeks, distributed on Thursdays in Circle K stores and within housing estates along with free newspapers.  It is produced in-house.With a circulation of about 30,000 per issue and larger runs at times like Christmas, the magazine is a catalog of products available on the online shopping portal."We started off marketing products with a young and stylish target audience through the magazines and now we are increasing the number of products popular with women, such as health and beauty, food and beverage, organic products as well as goods popular with kids and families such as small accessories," Chan said.