e-commerce blog: E-tailing

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Review of a local E-commerce site

Blooming Florist Sendirian Berhad is a local company which has its owm site, www.blooming.com.my. The company has started its operation since 1981 by May and Martin Cheah.it allows customers to buy its products and services through the internet. Besides having an online store, Blooming Florist has grown to owned six retail outlets in Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur and a head office cum workshop cum retail outlet in Kelana Jaya.To conduct its service effective and efficient, it has linked with most reliabe florists throughout the world.

The company delivers products such as hand bouguets, basket arrangements, cookies, cakes, wine, hampers, potted plants, pewters, plush toys, and home decorations.

Blooming Florist allows customers to buy and send the particular product to family members or friend located overseas.

For first timers, they can easily know what the company is offering. The site was designed simple with a white background, which able to outstand its product attractively. Products are listed out with their pictures which each able to be enlarge and pictured in different angles.

Moreover to emphasis on customer satisfaction, the company provides refund policy, floral arrangement tips, floral care and so on. There is also a page on FAQs (frequent asked questions) to guide custormers how to place an order, how to register as a member, and other information which normaly a custormer may ask.

The company's site is like other e-commerce site that we may see always on the Internet.

Search Engine
The page provides a search engine to help users to narrow down their findings to only what they are interested to. This able to shorten a customer purchasing prosses. Either than using the search engine, users can also choose to shop by products or by occasions as listed on the left hand side of its home page.

Shopping Cart
"My Shopping Cart" is located on top of the site. The cart is designed to collect a customer's orders at a time. At the end of a customer's shopping, the cart is filled with the total items and the sub total of the customer's purchase. Carts are useful to avoid customers buying lavishly.

Payment System
Customers can make their payments through various ways. They can either choos to pay by using the online credit card, online banking, mobile payment, or cash payment at their retail outlets.

Reference:

http://www.blooming.com.my/

Prepared by: CHOI LAI YEET

Friday, June 27, 2008

Review on a post on e-tailing

Blog title: using Touch ‘n Go to buy fast food in Malaysia will be a reality

Touch ‘n Go is incorporate in October 1996 and officially launched its services in March 1997. It is an electronic purse that can be used at all highways in Malaysia, major public transports in Klang Valley, selected parking sites and theme parks. This card looks similar to a credit card but it uses contact less smartcard technology. As long as this card is pre-loaded with electronic cash, user can continue to use the card. For the time being, user can reload the card at toll plazas, train stations, Automated Teller Machines, Cash Deposit Machines, Petrol kiosks and at authorized third party outlets.

Touch ‘n Go enhances the speed of paying for low value but high frequency transactions. Apart from the speed, it is also very convenient because user no longer need to prepare for small change or wait in queue at the cash lane to complete the transaction.

Touch ‘n Go is now expanding their applications and services towards the retail purchase, starting with particularly the fast-food industry. Starting from 19 April, consumers use their Touch n’ Go card for retail purchase as well as buying fast food. As much as 21 outlets in the Klang Valley have taking part in this project. The outlets which taking parts includes A&W, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donut, 7-Eleven, Carrefour hypermarkets, Caltex convenience stores and Cineleisure. Besides, to encourage users to use Touch ‘n Go retail purchase, Touch ‘n Go has come out with such promotion that enable users to enjoy some privileges when they pay using their cards.
According to Touch ’n Go chief operating officer Hasni Zarina Mohamed Khan, the card was an electronic purse and supports Bank Negara’s move for a cashless society. User can now use the card at all the outlets with no worries as all of the chain stores have an agreed that there will be no extra charges for those using Touch ’n Go cards compared to those using cash. For example, if the item is RM1 then it will still be RM1 if you use the card.

Moreover, cardholders could top up the value of their cards to RM1, 000 and need not need to worry if the cards were lost or stolen. At the same time, the card could also be a good way of controlling children's spending as this could be their one card from taking public transport to buying their lunch or snacks.

Hong Kong’s Octopus is one of the very successful examples of this electronic purse system that makes travelling, dining and shopping in Hong Kong simple and hassle-free. Touch ‘n Go is now is targeting on 5-10% of the carholders to use the card for retail purchase, as only 20% of the holders is using the Octopus for retail purchase purposes in Hong Kong which is one of the most successful in the world.