The Lead

There’s nothing new in the theory. Retailers have been doing this in varying degrees for years. However, what many retailers are not doing is nurturing and cultivating new customers. Retailers can’t sit back and wait for legacy shoppers to emerge – they have to create and capture new blood at the point of sale. That means luring people to their sites and keeping them there, whether they purchase or not.

Very smart retailers keep you at their sites and nurture you while they attempt to convert you. It’s great if you buy something. But it’s more important to identify with the brand – purchases will follow. And, as in the case of Target, deliver marketing messages that tell consumers (in this case, teenage girls) that Target is sick (in a good way) through Target Up2d8.

The next step in online retail evolution is social networking. Create such a resonant online experience that real conversation between peers happens as part of the purchase experience and ultimately influences purchase. It’s unlikely that retail social networking would supplant My Space and its counterparts, and it shouldn’t. But it can augment a consumer’s online experience and offer affiliate and advertising opportunities.

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