Frank Piller describes how Zazzle (not to be confused with shoe retailer Zappos in this case), which although better known for personalized shirts and gift items, is making a spectacularly orchestrated leap into the shoe business.
Zazzle users can now custom design their Keds shoe order in a way that - as Frank puts it - "goes far beyond the current state of the art in the shoe industry". Internet Retailer describes the principle:
"The Keds Studio program, built and hosted by Zazzle, lets users create original Keds' designs by placing their own art work, graphics and text directly on a digital version of the pair of shoes they are purchasing."
Now it's getting clear why Zazzle acquired technology company Confego last year.
Zazzle is currently moving towards more traditional merchandising markets, running amongst others the shops for Disney - from Mickey Mouse to High School Musical. The potential that's brewing here isn't hard to imagine.
Zazzle was started in 2003 as a family business and has been growing since 2005 with the help of venture capital. USA Today produced an informative portrait of Zazzle last Spring ("Zazzle aims to dazzle with on-demand merchandise").
Plus: Yesterday they rebranded themselves: Z is now for Zazzle
Originally posted in German by Jochen Krisch, translated by Jason Soo.
Concerning shoe buying and the social layer
Yesterday I have made an observation concerning new behavior patterns in real life shopping. May be I am so old school and everyone does it, and I realized it too late.
The guy is buying shoes and uses the simplest form of ad hoc social networking: twitter + twitpic.
Social shopping made simple: First tweet, then buy!
http://blog.futurefacts.net/2008/08/22/socia-shopping-made-simple-first-tweet-then-buy/
Posted by: Willi Schroll | 08/22/2008 at 08:02 AM