Leaders of the Pack: Intermix

This week we continue with our series of posts showcasing winners of the 2013 MarketLive Merchant Awards, as a means of examining how the best practices and strategies described on this blog are combined and executed in the real world.

Featured in the spotlight this time is Intermix. A women’s specialty retailer, Intermix features a curated collection of seasonal designer pieces in its 30 boutiques and on its eCommerce site. Targeting an upscale, trend-setting demographic, the site’s look and feel is sophisticated, with design that mimics a high-fashion magazine. The site seamlessly integrates trend reports and other content with shopping opportunities, as in this feature showcasing green accent pieces. Browsers can shop the ensembles used as illustrations or can elect to “shop the trend,” whereupon a section of the page expands accordion-style to reveal individual products associated with the trend.

We recently discussed the importance of tablets, and Intermix has designed its flagship eCommerce site to welcome tablet users. The global navigation, for example, is situated in a left-hand column rather than across the top — unconventional for desktop browser-based Web sites, but ideal for horizontally-oriented tablet browsing. Image carousels that invite swiping are featured throughout, such as on the home page, where shoppers can view products exclusive to Intermix.

The tight integration between content and shopping continues on the blog, where prominent promotion allows readers to access the latest trends and associated products. Blog post content includes behind-the-scenes views of the brand that demonstrate authoritativeness by showcasing the expertise of staff. The posts included further direct links to individual pieces, forging an even tighter connection between content and commerce.

The brand supports a full array of social media outposts, including Instagram and Pinterest — taking advantage of the increasingly visual nature of the Web to cater to image-conscious fashionistas. On Pinterest, Intermix features boards that go above and beyond mere product promotion — again demonstrating the expertise of the brand. This board showing the latest beauty tips has earned more than 5,000 followers.

Physical store locations are prominently supported across touchpoints. In addition to a store locator and local event listings, the eCommerce site spotlights in-store expertise with its “Straight From Our Stylists” section. Individual store staff are profiled and online shoppers are invited to make a personal shopping appointment, thereby inviting a physical store visit. But online commerce is also supported: the feature pictures individual ensembles created by the stylists, and by clicking the photos, shoppers access a custom collection page and can purchase the items on display.

Do you have candidates you’d like to nominate for “Leader of the Pack”? Let us know in the comments!