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Fendi extends product reach with glorified mobile lookbook

April 11, 2011

LVMH’s Italian fashion house Fendi is extending its product reach to the mobile space with a glorified lookbook, smartphone and tablet-optimized Web site.

Users can browse through ready to wear and accessories for women and men, the children’s collection, home décor, and read breaking news and boutique information. Consumers can reach the non-transactional site from http://mobile.fendi.com.

“As consumers become increasingly comfortable making purchases on mobile, luxury brands must recognize the growing demand for customer engagement across multiple channels,” said Nick Taylor, president of Usablenet, New York.

“Without an optimized mobile presence, luxury brands risk losing customers and sales to a poor user experience,” he said. “High-end consumers expect the best from high-end retailers – the best quality products, customer service and overall experience – and this philosophy must be extended to mobile.

“Although mcommerce is among the most important features to mobile-enable for retailers, a mobile presence for consumers to find basic information like stores hours and location is equally absolutely necessary.”

Usablenet did not create Fendi’s mobile site. Mr. Taylor agreed to comment as an industry expert.

The Fendi site features high-end apparel and accessories for women, men and children.

Trendy Fendi
Fendi consumers can now use the same features from the original site while on-the-go.

Consumers who access the Fendi Web site from mobile phones and tablets will directly be rerouted to the mobile-optimized version.

Fendi homepage

The main feature of the Fendi mobile homepage is a directory of different categories that users can browse.

When users click on a specific category, it subdivides into more specific products within the category.

Clicking any one of these tabs brings users to a new section that lists the different items available along with thumbnail images.

Fendi women’s category

Each product page includes a large image of the item.

Consumers can also search for the nearest Fendi flagship store or retailer via the site.

Fendi flagship directory

Although consumers cannot buy directly within the site, the Fendi mobile-optimized Web site can drive traffic in-store.

The next natural digression, it would seem, would be to allow shoppers to purchase via the mobile site.

Channel Chanel
A number of high-end brands have broken into the mobile space recently.

For example, Chanel has extended its ecommerce strategy with a mobile-optimized Web site in which users can search for and browse through fragrance, makeup and skincare products, as well as special offers and a store locator (see story).

Additionally, Kiwi collection, an online destination that lets affluent travelers book reservations at discounted prices at luxury hotels, has bolstered its marketing strategy by optimizing its Web site for mobile devices (see story).

It is important for luxury brands to redirect consumers to their mobile-optimized site to reduce the risk of lost sales by having shoppers memorize a new URL.

In addition, Mr. Taylor said luxury retailers should develop a mobile site that works on all Web-enabled phones.

“A successful mobile experience is one that works for all users, no matter what phone they use,” Mr. Taylor said. “Although mcommerce is among the most important features to mobile-enable for retailers, a mobile presence for consumers to find basic information like store hours and location is equally necessary.

“An enhanced product browsing capability with high-resolution product images is also essential to convey the sophisticated nature of luxury products,” he said.

Final take
What’s up with the nontransactional Fendi mobile site?

Elizabeth Zelesny is editorial assistant at Luxury Daily. Reach her at elizabeth@napean.com