My Watch And I

WEB GENERATED SALES SOAR FOR COMET

2008-01-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

WEB GENERATED SALES SOAR FOR COMET

Dated: 17 January 2008

Comet, the UK’s leading electrical retailer, today announced its best ever web generated sales performance for the Christmas Sales period* with sales value increasing over 32 per cent year on year. Popular products, like LCD and plasma TV’s were sold or secured for pick up in store (Click & Collect) up to two per minute at the busiest times on the company’s website.

The strategic decision by Comet.co.uk (http://www.comet.co.uk) to launch its January Sale campaign online on 25th December resulted in sales on Christmas Day increasing by 700 per cent year on year. Subsequent days also showed very strong year on year growth.

The biggest on-line sales week recorded was w/c 23rd December, the first time it has been this late. Historically, sales peak the week before, depending on the last delivery date before Christmas.

Having conducted market research among 2000 of its online customers before Christmas, Comet knew that this year’s most popular service was ‘Click & Collect’ (44 per cent of those polled). Its ‘Click & Collect’ service enables customers to order products on Comet.co.uk and then collect them from store as little as 30 minutes later. During its peak trading week, over 65 per cent of its online customers opted to collect their orders from store. This included those people choosing to order products online on Christmas Day and collect them from store on Boxing Day.

The top selling web generated products were the Nintendo Wii, and Tom Tom satellite navigation systems pre Christmas - and the Samsung 40” HD TV at under £700 and the HP £399 2GB Pentium Dual Core Laptop with 15 inch screen were the best sellers on Boxing Day.

Commenting on its Christmas trading results, Bob Darke, Commercial Director at Comet, says:

“All things considered, we are pleased with our web generated sales performance. Our strong online presence has bolstered sales performance overall for Comet. We have the advantage that we are able to offer a physical shopping environment, a dedicated after sales service network and excellent sales advisors on the ground to support our web generated business”. Darke, however, adds a note of caution: “There is certainly no room for complacency in a market that continues to be very competitive - we shall continue to build on this success to further develop our multi channel proposition in the coming months.”

* 1 November to 8 January

For further information contact:
Karen Alden
Comet Press Office
Tel: 44 (0)1923 714556
Or go to: http://press.comet.co.uk
http://www.comet.co.uk

Editor’s Note:

Comet is the second largest electrical retailer in the UK and part of Kesa Electricals plc, a pan-European group

What kind of online shopper are you?

2008-01-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Do you sniff, graze, ping or strike?

The Internet has forever changed the way we shop. It has increased the speed and ease of buying products and provided the consumer with a global library of information, real variety and choice. Being able to shop online is no longer the challenge as demonstrated this week, when UK online shoppers broke all previous records by reportedly spending £767,500 in just 60 seconds at 1.09pm on Monday. Meeting the needs of all online shopper-types, is.

According to Comet (www.comet.co.uk), the UK’s leading electrical retailer, to succeed as an etailer during peak shopping periods, the challenge is being able to cater for the demands of all shopper types. This means delivering products and services to the people who need them in the way they want them, when they want them.

The verdict of a recent survey Comet conducted involving 2243 of its online customers, is that different types of web shoppers have different goals and shopping strategies, with mens’ and womens’ styles varying.

Forty-five per cent use the Internet for checking out product information “Grazer-style” and doing research before rushing in. The “Sniffers” (the bargain-hunting shoppers), representing just over 15 per cent of the total polled, use comparison shopping tools and are just looking for the lowest price. Grazers and Sniffers are both more likely to be male than female (Grazers representing 61 per cent male to 39 per cent female and Sniffers 59 per cent male to 41 per cent female)

Overall, the survey indicates that while the Internet is often the first port of call for these shoppers seeking information before they buy, it indicates that nearly 16 per cent are “Combos”; the shopping elite who use the Internet mainly as a source of information. This group like taking the best of the new with the reassurance of the traditional and do enjoy the offline shopping experience too. Of this 16 per cent a “Combo” is more likely to be female than male – (53 per cent to 47 per cent respectively). Indeed, of those customers polled given the choice of all Comet.co.uk’s services nearly 44 per cent liked the “Combo” Click & Collect service best. This service enables online shoppers to order online and collect from a store 30 minutes’ later. Of those polled, women were more likely than men to favour “real” people, engineers to install and repair products, and guaranteed deliveries.

Of those polled just over 10 per cent admit to having an “SAS-approach” to online shopping, making precision strikes targeting only the areas and website they need, and then quickly logging off. They know exactly what they want before logging on and only purchase that item. SAS precision strikers are more likely to be male than female (68 per cent to 32 per cent respectively).

However, the remainder use the Internet on a “Needs Must” basis (4.5 per cent). Those shopping out of necessity, or if they are pressed for time, are more likely to be female (55 per cent) than male (45 per cent). The social “Tiddleywinkers” (nearly 2 per cent of the total polled) are enthusiastic, adventurous web users who will ping to new ideas as they are presented to them and use the Internet as a form of recreation (67 per cent female, 33 per cent male).

Commenting, Simon Rigby, Head of Direct Channels at Comet, says:

“Our challenge is to meet the needs of the greatest number of shoppers. By undertaking research on a regular basis, we learn more about our customers’ shopping needs and styles. This helps us to deliver all the necessary reassurances, product ranges and services.

“We conducted this survey during our peak selling period as we are in the process of developing our range of online interactive services, such as Live Chat and CometTV.co.uk. Powerful multi media sales tools will soon become standard in the online shopping arena. In three years, you'll be just as likely to click and watch a product related video of your intended purchase on your computer before you buy - as you are to have an email address today.”

For more information please visit:

www.comet.co.uk/services

www.comet.co.uk/christmas

http://press.comet.co.uk

Welcome to the futuristic world of Binary watches – WWW.MYWATCHANDI.COM!

2007-12-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

MywatchandI.com, one of the UK’s leading online shops for the true lovers of watches, has always proven to be innovative and brave in their choice of product ranges, offering the perfect accessory for the technology conscious watch fanatics.
It therefore comes as no surprise that their comprehensive product line of stunning high tech Binary Watches is going down the storm all over the country, making www.mywatchandi.com the leading UK online retailer for the Binary watches with unbeatable prices and lots of surprises on offer.

Their impressive collection of Binary Watches, comprising of ultra-futuristic models by THE ONE, have equally spaced out names: IBIZA RIDE, KERALA TRANCE, LIGHTMARE and ODIN – these Binary Watches represent the current state of the art of digital electronic watches with a look and functionality to die for.
Their maker, THE ONE, has always been on the forefront of exciting watch designs and always been the hottest seller on www.mywatchandi.com.

Cruising through their vast range of Binary watches is simply amazing:
IBIZA RIDE, a best seller, is available with a choice of Stainless or leather colored Straps and elegant Steal Case, also newly available with horizontal display.
Or take the KERALA TRANCE Range, more stylish and trendy and also with the choice of cool mesh straps and a flat screen digital face.
LIGHTMARE is now on offer with plenty of new models and compact digi-look.

And if you thought that these ranges are dominated by the man’s world, don’t be fooled! My Watch And I’s excellent Binary watches are also available for the ladies. Just check out Odin’s current best selling Models ORL113R2 and ORL313R2! These ladies steel dress versions of high tech time tellers are truly exotic watches with a growing popularity and high demand amongst female customers.

THE FUTURE IS HERE – WWW.MYWATCHANDI.COM

MOST WANTED THIS CHRISTMAS

2007-12-19T05:34:00.000-08:00

Most people want to have chirpy London cook Jamie Oliver preparing their Christmas food this year (minus the dinner lady and turkey twizzlers), more than any other chef.

That’s according to a ‘Most Wanted’ Christmas survey conducted by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, Comet (www.comet.co.uk), among 2243 of its customers.

Jamie Oliver tops the poll (22.16 per cent) for most wanted Christmas Day chef. Sliding into a close second place is domestic goddess, Nigella Lawson (21.8 per cent), getting the male vote for “my favoured bird for the Christmas table”, followed by Gordon Ramsay in third place (20.73 per cent) - without the ‘F’ words in front of the children and during the Queen’s Speech.

In fourth place, just over 15 per cent of those polled (of which 89 per cent are male respondents), opted for their wife (“isn’t that what wives are for?”), as chief cook and bottle washer.

Only 14 per cent of support on the terraces came for Delia Smith (“Let’s be ‘Avin You”). Heston Blumenthal (with his scientific approach and award-winning Fat Duck) landed at sixth position.

Of those polled, most wanted to receive an HD Ready TV with built in DVD player (31 per cent), followed by a Sony Vaio laptop (26 per cent).

For more information on Comet.co.uk’s Most Wanted Christmas gifts please visit:

http://www.comet.co.uk/christmas

http://press.comet.co.uk

Alesi watches, design for the right price

2007-10-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

The collection of wrist watches which we present in the My Watch and I catalogue has been developed between Alesi and SII Marketing International Inc. of Austin, Texas, a company that brings together vast professional experience in the field of Japanese and American watchmaking.
Together they have been able to create the new Alessi line of watches which, as you will see, not only features excellent design, but also the very best in state-of-the-art-technique, at the right price and with an efficient after sales service assistance program.

View the Alesi collection