Krillionology

Under the hood: How does Krillion local product search work?

We’re often asked what makes Krillion different when it comes to providing “local” product, pricing and availability information. Here’s a quick overview of what it takes to build the web's broadest and deepest index of structured local product information.


Does Your Website Enable Cross-Channel Shopping?

It wasn’t that long ago when consumers were quite happy to surf the web, look at products, and, when we wanted to actually buy something, refer to the manufacturer’s website for the street address of a local retailer, or perhaps buy a product directly. Today, shoppers expect a lot more from an online store, including accurate information on ’where to buy’ locally. Cross-channel shoppers demand even more from a website. These consumers may start their product research online, but 9 out of 10 of them will buy that product at a local store. Krillion has led the movement from the static dealer locator to a customizable, interactive, cross-channel product locator tool that provides actionable results for product manufacturers, vastly improving customer experience while smoothing the path to purchase at the product level.
Result: more sales where it counts: at the retailer check-out.


Krillion Helps Manufacturers Drive More Retail Channel Sales

Old-style dealer locators—which generally offer a static list retailers and the brands they carry—and can end up turning online shoppers away to fend for themselves. This is an unfortunate missed sales opportunity that could result in losing the customer to a competing brand. Our advice to manufacturers: think in terms of product locator, not dealer locator. Why? Because that's how shoppers think: “Where can I buy it, right now?”


Only Krillion Provides Accurate Price, Location and Availability Information

In fact, it’s not an easy task to organize structure, localize and accurately maintain thousands of products sold at thousands of storefront retailers. For example, no product is universally mapped or merchandised across retailers. Krillion’s localization engine begins with continuously processing a variety of ever-changing product and pricing data across multiple retailers and products, providing our partners with:

► Structured data, refreshed daily for Krillion 360 Product Locator customers, derived from layers of product matching across multiple retailers nationwide.

► Ongoing product updates that refresh each retailer’s assortment according to what each carries today.

► Constant pricing updates – essential information that can close the sale.

► Real-time inventory checks for availability and deliverability of product – helps drive the shopper to a local purchase.

The bottom line: when consumers query our index on a specific product—whether on your site or through any site within the Krillion network—we instantly return which local retailer has your product in-stock, right now. The point is... it works!


How Many Products and Retailers Do We Serve?

We’re continually expanding our index to include new product categories and retailer storefronts, to the point that we are now the Web’s leading provider of location-specific product information. Our data is structured, matched and organized for our partners, clients and the customers they serve online. We can now provide real-time availability for the majority of the 30,000 national and regional retailer storefronts within our index, spanning over 200 product categories, and featuring over 50,000 unique products.

You can easily integrate this valuable information into your website. Krillion’s real-time StockCheck™ technology instantly determines accurate product pricing and availability by ZIP code, making it the easiest way for manufacturers and publishers to connect online shoppers who are looking to buy from local retailers.

And we’re not standing still. Mobile is the next frontier for local product search: smartphones and tablets are location-aware, which means mobile shoppers will expect to see local product availability wherever that information is relevant and useful on their mobile device.

We're ready when you are.

Retrospective: Krillion local product search in 2009

 

Here at Krillion we're planning our product roadmap for 2010 — many great things in store for our partners and customers across consumer-goods manufacturers and retailers, web publishers, and marketers. As we set off on the road into the new year (and decade), it's informative to look back over our shoulder at the progress made in 2009. Here are some of the 2009 highlights.

Launch of our next-generation product locator 

 In 2009, we hit a major development milestone with the launch of the Krillion 360 Product Locator. Our goal with this release was to expand the functionality of the first version of our web-to-store product locator by aggregating more product information and multi-channel services, including those from both offline and online retailers.

This represents a big shift for many consumer-goods manufacturers, who would otherwise have been forced to either 'make do' with spotty retailer and product coverage to power their 'where to buy' pages, or completely abandon the idea of offering their web shoppers accurate location, pricing and availability information at the product level in one spot.

The Krillion 360 Product Locator does it all: offline and online retailers, real-time price and availability — all in one easy-to-integrate package.

Toshiba's notebook division was the first to deploy the new product locator, and it's been delivering excellent results, driving  higher traffic to where to buy pages and double digit conversions to local retailer checkout pages.

Taking the newspaper circular onto the web

Early in 2009 we announced a partnership with Topix, the Web's leading news community, to integrate a 'hyper-local' (down to the ZIP code) version of ‘weekly deals’ product locator in a rich media widget, optimized for the needs of online news publishers. Based on our early success with this new e-circular format, which highlights deals on fast-moving products at local retailers, we developed a more interactive version for Topix. This new version, now live on their site, is an enticing look at the potential that e-circulars can offer news publishers, who are transforming their business model from print to online and mobile.

The new Krillion e-circular can be tuned to allocate priority to both brands and retailers, with the possibility of using location-based services that will be commonplace with the increasing popularity of 'super phones', e-readers and tablets.

Krillion powers in-store kiosks for price match guarantee

Sears has been consistently leading the way in cross-channel systems that make it easier for their online shoppers to 'shop their way'. What about the in-store shopper? How to improve their experience and close the deal on a product? An interesting development from our earlier work with Sears was their decision to leverage our ability to compare prices and availability across local retailers as the basis for their in-store price-checker.

It's a simple concept: match the price of a nearby store. Retailers have been doing this for years, often requiring the customer to bring in a hardcopy of a circular. Sears wanted to go beyond that - providing in-store shoppers with instant price checks of a particular item across competing stores, and selected our local product search technology to power in-store kiosks.

 
 

The road ahead

Looking into 2010, we have a lot in store. Here are just a few of the ideas we're working on:

• expansion of our index to take it broader (more categories) and deeper (more products)
• inclusion of more retail partners
• a new "smart suggest" feature that intelligently substitutes similar products if a particular product is out of stock
• delivery estimates for warehouse-to-home shipments

           

We look forward to helping you connect shoppers with local, in-stock merchandise.

Enabling national display ads to drive local buyers

If you've been following the thread on this blog, you'll know that, despite the web's popularity and convenience as a way to buy goods, more than 95 percent of purchases are still bought at local stores. Another data point: many products purchased in stores are first researched carefully by consumers, using the web, before buying offline at a store.

In my last post, we looked at how one company in particular is driving web buyers to local stores; Toshiba is using the Krillion 360 Product Locator to connect web buyers with local dealers that have in-stock product. It's a natural fit because we know that a consumer on Toshiba's site is a serious buyer, and so of course Toshiba wants to show that person all his or her buying options as soon as that person is ready to consider purchase.

If you tried out our technology on Toshiba's laptop site (and I invite you to do so - just enter your ZIP in the 'Ready to Buy?' box), you'll see that our product locator fits seamlessly within the architecture, look/feel, and overall customer experience. So, you might ask, could this same technology be applied to other websites beyond those of manufacturers? What about display ads, for example?

Let's say you're an agency that develops and places display ads for consumer goods manufacturers. Now, Krillion can put the 'local' focus into your online display ads, connecting web shoppers with local, in- stock merchandise. We can also make your campaigns more measurable by tracking the click from ad to in-store purchase. And, we can do all this without any significant development on your part - technical integration is simple.

Here's how it works. Let's assume that you're an agency handling advertising for Clean Machine. You've developed a display ad and the media buyer is placing it in national media outlets. Unlike the national branding campaign that's running on TV, this ad aims to drive consumers to local retailers to learn more about the product.

Using the Krillion 360 Product Locator, these display ads can now feature in-stock products at local retailers - all the consumer needs to do is enter the ZIP code into to the ad. This means that you can add a compelling 'buy now' component for your consumer goods clients, and include not only an interactive ad unit (that offers 'what' and 'where' to buy information), but also a sale-oriented product showcase that drives buyers directly into stores or online retailers.

Take a look at the mock-up display ad below: the consumer enters a ZIP code and instantly gets a real-time lookup of local, in-stock product. From that screen, it's one or two clicks to completing the transaction at a local store. And of course this is all trackable and measurable.

Clicking on a "Buy locally" button takes the shopper directly to that retailer's website, with the SKU pre-loaded. And with a bit more customization, this approach can be applied to co-op marketing campaigns, where a specific retailer needs to be highlighted for a specific brand.

If you're an agency and would like to learn more, contact Marshall Pierce, here at Krillion.

Toshiba goes live with new, Krillion-powered website

In an earlier post I asked the question: "are manufacturers' websites cross-channel shopper ready?" With the busy shopping season just around the corner, there's certainly a lot of planning and development going on in e-commerce departments around the world; and the cross-channel shopper is going to be a top concern for any marketer who sells through multiple channels (web store, online retail parter, storefront dealer, catalog, email, etc.)

If you're a consumer-product manufacturer, the latest product locator technology can help you get your website holiday-ready, boost sales directly from product pages, and eliminate potential lost sales due to your customer getting distracted on the way from your product page to the checkout. 

Theory is all fine and dandy, but how does this work, in practice?

Let's take a look at a real-life example: Toshiba's computer division.

Ready to buy? You've got options.

Shoppers on Toshiba's new web store - laptops.toshiba.com - are finding it easier than ever to figure out where to buy the product they want. The reason: they're now connected directly to in-stock product at Toshiba's top dealers and online resellers. Think about that for a moment... you've done all your research and decided that Toshiba is the right laptop. You're on their website, fine-tuning your decision. What's your next step? You're thinking: "where can I buy it now?" 

Toshiba can now tell you - immediately - because the Krillion 360 Product Locator provides up-to-the-minute pricing and availability of that laptop, at online merchants and at local stores.

Best practices: highlight offline and online buying options

Toshiba's new website is a great example of how to do it right. Ready-to-buy shoppers can get complete specs on the company's laptops, decide which one they want, and then instantly see up-to-date pricing and availability information across Toshiba's top local retailers and online retail channels.

The Krillion 360 Product Locator is triggered by the customer entering a ZIP code. It is completely integrated into the website, and instantly presents all the customer needs to know in order to make a purchase decision:

— which national chains have the product in stock
— availability either online or at a local store
— pricing
— contact information

Similar information is available for online-only retailers as a separate, tabbed view.

This is the first time that a consumer product manufacturer has been able to offer shoppers a real-time, fully integrated view of all their buying options, and is a great example of how Krillion can dramatically enhance the buying experience for shoppers on any e-commerce website that aims to connect shoppers with local merchandise.

Tiny details make a big difference

If, like Toshiba, you've made a considerable investment to ensure the website is feature-rich and a delight to experience, then you also want 'where to buy' experience to be integral and seamless. We worked closely with Toshiba to customize the product locator, ensuring that it 'talks' their design language and integrates smoothly with their overall look. We especially like the nice touches such as the color-coded indicator buttons for in-stock/online versus in-stock/local.

Clicking on a red "Buy locally" or green "Buy online" button takes the shopper directly to that retailer's website, with the SKU pre-loaded. For further convenience, a map view is also available:

Many thanks to the folks at Toshiba for being such great business partners as we implemented and fine-tuned the Krillion technology on their website.

If you would like to learn more about how an advanced product locator could speed your customers' path to purchase, contact me here at Krillion: Sherry Thomas-Zon - (650) 965-0233.

Sears catches the multichannel bug—in a big way

The other day I walked into a Sears store, asked for a price comparison on a dishwasher, and watched the sales associate access Krillion for a price comparison look-up. Terrific to see our system being adopted by a trend-setting retailer to power an in-store local search kiosk.

If you take a look at what Sears is doing across its channels, you'll see similar sorts of innovation. Sears is an iconic brand when it comes to channels. It's the multichannel giant - storefront, web and catalog. The Sears customer service approach is embodied by its new slogan "shop your way, where shopping revolves around you, 24/7".

What Sears is doing in cross-channel is expanding some boundaries. As DM news reported:

Sears Holdings Corporation is touting its multichannel retail capabilities under the banner of "ShopYourWay," and using its Web site, catalogs and other marketing vehicles to showcase services such as the ability to buy online and pick up in-store, mobile commerce and in-store Web shopping kiosks.

In addition, the company has been increasingly dedicating more catalog real estate to calling out its multichannel capabilities, with various calls to action encouraging readers to shop online or buy online and pickup in store.

What's interesting is that Sears is pushing hard on in-store pickup to drive customers cross-channel. Sears calls it "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" — and makes it really easy for customers to take advantage of this convenience feature:

- items available for store pickup are marked with a special icon on the website
- easy proof of purchase when you arrive at the store (email printout, credit card)
- in-store kiosk at the special Merchandise Pickup area for fast check-in
- Ready-in-Five (minutes, that is) guarantee
- get it yourself or send someone else

Sears knows that people who elect to pickup in-store will often purchase additional items once they get there - boosting the average order value (AOV). What we know is displaying LOCAL product availability to a customer who has decided WHAT to buy tends to boost conversion to purchase. And that's why it makes sense to embed that data into your online site. Enabling cross-channel purchase and adding these sorts of convenience features is something that multichannel retailers of all stripes have implemented or are evaluating. The big guys jump in first, set expectations and habits with consumers, and eventually other retailers feel the need to add it, too.

Cross-channel isn't just something retailers are looking at, of course. Manufacturers are also enthusiastically adopting it because Krillion lets them tell their customers which local retailers have the product they want, in store, right now. This is convenient for the customer. Also, the manufacturer closes the deal, and the retailer gets the transaction.

We're seeing a lot of interest from manufacturers of larger items that are typically purchased offline. But, again, once shoppers start to expect this convenience feature, we predict that they'll demand it for all types and sizes of products.

Here's how it works at Sears:

Notes from eTail West 2009 Conference

Multi-channel e-tail: how can the web better support cross-channel consumers?

We're back from last week's eTail West show, held in Phoenix. Overall, this was a good show for us; it was our first experience attending and a great opportunity to chat with numerous retailers, many of whom are clearly working very hard to maximize sales — with limited resources.  As consumer spending continues to contract, what's clear is that there's a laser-like focus on deploying programs and functionality that perform — and can be measured.

Several panels and sessions were centered on multi-channel retailing, and retail marketers were often heard discussing what they are doing to bolster sales, often with reduced budgets. Here are some of the key issues I heard them talking about, and some of cross-channel activities they are working on as they look to optimize programs and serve the increasing numbers of web-influenced customers:

Those who manage the Web are increasingly being tasked to drive more sales to the store. Retail marketers and CIOs alike stated that they are now charged with proving that the web can drive store sales. Several echoed management’s call: if they want to boost ecommerce budgets, ecommerce directors will have to expand the role of the web channel in supporting the stores. And, while budget increases may be forthcoming in some instances, they come with the condition that they directly affect in-store sales — with measurable results.

Customers expect continuity across channels. That means purchase, delivery, in-store pick-up, and customer returns need to happen from any channel, the store, call center, catalog or website. The state of the art for multi-channel retailers today emphasizes website functionality that shows in-store product availability, integration of loyalty programs, and other cross-channel capabilities. Case in point: Ashlee Aldridge, CIO and SVP of direct sales at West Marine noted, "Customers expect us to know who they are, and engage them at any time in any channel."

Customer retention, measurement and profit is in sharp focus. Investment in programs tied to lowering cart abandonment and increasing AOV (average order value) is paramount for retailers, as is identifying key, high-value customer segments. And testing, testing, testing. According to many of the panelists, the process boils down to metrics when it comes to investment. In other words: Can an initiative be measured? How will it drive profit?

"Wait and see" attitude to mobile. It was interesting that mobile was not mentioned much as a tool being tested as a sales driver — at least not for the moment. One panelist, Roger Underwood, SVP of information systems at Finish Line (which operates 700 stores), suggested the volume for mobile use is too small to justify additional investment at this time. Retailers may testing it but they are not yet rolling it out in any major way. Perhaps this is because the handset market is still highly fragmented, which makes it hard to ensure a great user experience on every phone.