'Allure' adds e-commerce functionality to its website
'Allure' adds e-commerce functionality to its website
Allure magazine has relaunched its website to include e-commerce features. The beauty publication partnered with e-commerce company Quidsi to add access to 2,200 products to the site.
Allure.com now allows consumers to discover products in its print magazine's editorial content that can be purchased through a shopping cart shared with Quidsi subsidiaries BeautyBar.com and Soap.com. The site will give any product covered editorially its own page with product reviews, and consumers will be able to purchase the item if it is carried by BeautyBar.com.
“Our business is content and not e-commerce,” said Marie Jones, general manager of digital media at Allure. “The strategy, when we began to conceive the relaunch, was to turn the site into a beauty utility that allowed women to do things they can't do in the magazine.”
“We know women have shopped from the pages of Allure in the past, whether they tear a page out and bring it to a merchant or research a product online,” she added.
Allure chose Quidsi because the online retailer features prestige brands on BeautyBar.com and mass products on Soap.com. Upon checkout, consumers will be taken to a co-branded page on BeautyBar.com.
“Women shop across price-points,” said Jones. “Quidsi gave us the ability to have one integrated cart for prestige and mass products.”
The co-branded page does not include Soap.com.
“We don't want to undermine the prestige brands that want to maintain the prestige environment,” said Katina Mountanos, site director for BeautyBar.com. She added that products that are made available to Allure consumers through Soap.com will be accompanied by a Soap.com logo.
The site also features the “Allure Beauty Product Finder,” which lets consumers receive personalized recommendations. Visitors to the site can add items to a favorites list to make purchases at a later date.
Allure.com offers free shipping on all orders of more than $39. All products will be delivered within one to two days. Same-day delivery is available for New York City orders.
The relaunched site is built by channels, including hair, skin, makeup and Allure.com “Best Beauty Products” staff picks.
Jones said Allure is “looking into” social-sharing features and mobile commerce.
Quidsi launched Wag.com, an e-commerce site featuring more than 10,000 pet-related products, earlier this month. Quidsi also owns Diapers.com, in addition to Soap.com, BeautyBar.com and Wag.com.
