Sceneric and hybris Help Stanley Gibbons Win Stamp of Approval

72% increase in online sales sign of buoyant market for AIM-listed rare stamp, coin and autograph company

Since opting for UK-based web consultancy Sceneric and multi-channel commerce software vendor hybris to build its online channel in 2010, famed stamp dealer Stanley Gibbons has seen a 72% increase in online sales in just under two years, announcing online sales of £4.3m (2010: £2.5m) in its financial results today. This increase looks set to continue to rise, showing resilience in the global collectibles market and the success of the site in becoming a prime marketplace for stamp collectors worldwide.

Realising that its existing web presence could not support the kind of global expansion planned by the business, Stanley Gibbons sent out requests for quotations to the market in 2010 and set about evaluating the best solution to meet its requirements. After a rigorous assessment process, the world’s leading rare stamps and prestige collectibles company offered the contract to develop a new website and eCommerce platform to Sceneric and hybris.

Keith Heddle, Sales & Marketing director of Stanley Gibbons, commented: “Increasing interest in alternative investments means our business continues to grow and do well, as customers realise the wisdom of having tangible assets in their portfolios. Since its launch in 2011, www.stanleygibbons.com has helped us expand our sales overseas into key markets such as the U.S. and Far East. Further development of the site is central to our ongoing evolution from a trader to a trading provider to gain a greater percentage of the global sales and activities of collectors, dealers, auction houses and others related to the stamp market.”

Jim Herbert, chief operating officer of Sceneric, the UK-based ecommerce consultancy, added: “I think the sharp increase in online sales for www.stanleygibbons.com points to strong demand for an easy to use and reliable portal for stamp purchases and investments. Adding further functionality so that the portal becomes a more immersive and community-rich customer experience is a challenge we look forward to meeting with hybris this year.”

Stanley Gibbons plans to use the hybris platform and Sceneric’s expertise in building e-commerce channels to offer online auction facilities for its customers and to offer its impressive catalogue range to a global audience via multi-lingual and multi-currency platforms. In addition, a programme of continuous improvement has been implemented to enhance customer and collector experience across the site, improve conversion rate, and ensure customers, investors and collectors can find exactly what they need.

Ariel Luedi, CEO of hybris, said: “Online presence has long been a part of an integrated multichannel strategy, but many companies, especially those dealing in areas of high market worth such as investments and prestige collectibles, see online just as a window to advertise their business, not a means of providing a more rounded customer experience. Stanley Gibbons had the vision to see that the site was an extension, and not a replacement of, the customer relationships it is rightly renowned for.”

Stanley Gibbons
www.stanleygibbons.com
Sceneric
www.sceneric.com
hybris
www.hybris.com

e-Zone UK Ltd. Named One of Constant Contact’s 2011 All Stars

e-Zone UK Ltd., specialists in internet marketing, has received the 2011 All Star Award from Constant Contact®, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTCT), the trusted marketing advisor to more than half a million small organisations worldwide. Each year, a select group of Constant Contact customers are honoured with the All Star Award for their exemplary marketing results.e-Zone UK’s results ranked among the top 10% of Constant Contact’s customer base.

e-Zone UK have successfully helped their clients over the past 12 years to improve their business by using the internet in ways that are right for them. Key to achieving that is effective communication and Constant Contact email marketing tools have proven to be very successful in achieving this.

“{{We’re happy to be recognised for the second year by Constant Contact for achieving strong marketing results.}} Constant Contact’s tools have helped our customers achieve better communication enhance their relationships and business effectiveness.” Said Brian Coyle, Marketing Director.

Constant Contact customers using any combination of the company’s Email Marketing, Event Marketing and Online Survey tools are eligible for this award. Constant Contact looked at the following criteria to select this year’s All Stars:

• Frequency of campaigns, events and surveys
• Open, bounce and click-through rates
• Event registration rates
• Survey completion rates
• Use of social features
• Use of mailing list sign-up tools

“There is nothing we like more than to see our customers finding success. It’s the reason Constant Contact was founded and it’s a thrill to see the fantastic results that our All Stars are achieving,” said Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact. “This group is really leading the charge when it comes to delivering relevant, engaging content that drives real business results. We salute this year’s All Stars for their success, and are honoured to have played a part in their achievements.”

Intershop to Present New Intershop 7 Platform at Internet Expo & Digital Marketing in Stockholm

In-depth product demonstrations at Booth C05
Robert Kornfeld to speak on mobile commerce and multi-cross commerce

Stockholm, Sweden, 13 March 2012 – Intershop is presenting its new cross-channel commerce platform, Intershop 7, at the Internet Expo & Digital Marketing show, which takes place at Kistamässan in Stockholm on 14 and 15 March.

With over 1,500 features, Intershop’s latest product opens up new possibilities for sophisticated multi-channel commerce. It provides store managers with unprecedented flexibility to adapt their online business to the ever-changing needs and expectations of their customers. Powerful features, such as Design View, integrated A/B Testing, and an advanced Promotions Engine, make it possible to evolve and manage storefronts fast, test consumer preferences, and create highly targeted user experiences.

Visitors to the Intershop booth (C05) can see in-depth demonstrations and presentations of the new functionalities in Intershop 7.

In addition, Robert Kornfeld, Country Manager Scandinavia, will present in two sessions. His first session, titled ‚Mobile Commerce, not an option – a necessity’, will take place on Wednesday 14 March at 11.30-12.00.

His second session is titled‚ Multi-x commerce perfectly united’, and held on Thursday 15 March at 12.30-13.00.

For more information, please visit www.intershop.com/event-details/events/internet-expo-...

UK Company Supports Local Retailers Moving To Internet Shops

Today saw the announcement that up to fourteen retail shops closed every day in 2011 as shoppers move to internet buying. Bracknell based Insight Group, a specialist website provider, has responded to this by offering a free copy of its WebMaker website builder product to every tenth purchaser.

WebMaker SHOP costs just £17 a month for a comprehensive website solution that enables retailers to sell their products and services online, with full support for PayPal transactions as standard.

“As retailers see their high street locations getting less traffic, more and more of them are looking to move to the web,” said Mark Robson, partner at Insight. “Our WebMaker solution makes it simple to move shop sales to the internet quickly.

"We’ve also made sure that the price is very affordable so that at a time when retailers are seeing a drop in customers and revenue, they can capitalise on the internet and boost their sales quickly.”

WebMaker SHOP comes complete with everything a retailer needs to get online, including hosting, website design, unlimited pages, website name registration, 100 email addresses, full e-commerce system and massive storage at 10Gb to hold all a retailer’s product information. Insight also offers a free 30-day trial of a live system.

Retailers can find out more by visiting WebMaker website builder website.