Consumer packaged goods giant Procter & Gamble teamed up with partner, PFSweb, Inc., an e-commerce platform and fulfillment provider, to launch an online shopping site to sell its products directly to US consumers. The site, known as the eStore, features a variety of P&G products from brands such as Tide, Pampers, Olay, CoverGirl and Febreze. It opened May 20.
P&G’s beauty external relations spokesperson, Aja Silvas, said the company went in this direction as it recognized that “e-commerce is the fastest growing channel for many of P&G’s brands. Industry statistics for CPG show sales consistently growing 20-25% every year.”
Silvas added that P&G initiated the concept of the eStore and worked with PFSweb to help bring the eStore to life. Yet PFSweb will “have sole discretion on distribution, pricing and merchandising.”
P&G announced in January that it would start developing the e-commerce site. Prior to this week’s launch, P&G worked with 5,000 consumers whose insights helped the company identify the products to be featured on the site.
Silvas noted the eStore is a “learning lab” for the company’s continued foray into e-commerce.
Key features of the eStore include a forum for online shoppers to share feedback; “Brand Shops,” which customizes pages for consumers based on their favorite P&G brands; and links to Facebook brand fan pages.
