Investments in Mobile & eCommerce Paying Off for Ralph Lauren

This article in InternetRetailer.com caught my eye for one reason:  I'm a fan of the brand!  

Back when I was a tween in the early 80's & preppy was "in", I was starting to notice brands, trends & styles.  I enjoyed Ralph Lauren clothes, especially my pink Polo shirt with the green guy.  My friends & I even had matching ones!  For me, the brand was aspirational; I loved the ads, how effortless the models looked wearing the clothes, as well as the outdoor backdrops.  In the 90's when I left college & moved into my own apartment in Chicago, Ralph Lauren's home goods (towels, sheets, accessories) moved from aspirational to attainable; I could have that look inside my home.  I'm still a fan of their brand from a lifestyle perspective, though admittedly the collection remains elusive until I match that darned power ball number in lotto this week :-)

Preorder Page for the Women's Collection

InternetRetailer.com's article is here.  

These are some of the key takeaways I found very interesting:
1. The retailer runs 9 e-commerce sites around the world
2. Ralph Lauren has 8.3 million Facebook fans & 1.3 million Instagram followers
3. 17% increase in global e-commerce sales in Q4 2014
4. 40% increase in mobile traffic although executives couldn't explain what drove the growth 
5. The ability to preorder for the women's collection line is a new feature for the luxury customer

#5 was super interesting to me because other retailers do this:  Apple allows consumers to preorder the latest iPhone or devices, as well as songs / albums yet to be release.  GameStop lets my kid preorder (and prepay) for the newest version of Call of Duty or whatever he's interested in this week.  Why don't more clothing retailers, besides luxury ones, have this a a prominent feature of their website?  


For me, preorder is more of an impulse buy.  I see something new that I really like & think "Hey, I want that!"  When retailers allow me to preorder it, I can take action immediately & not let that buying feeling wane.  Let loyalty customers, fans of the brand & insiders get the jump on preorders.  Bring customers closer to the retailer by offering preorder rewards.  The loyal fans will love you even more.