Trade online with fashion

Currently the market for e-commerce (Internet shopping) in Colombia, has gradually become one of the alternatives available to them Colombians to save in times of crisis.

For the fashion industry this may be a new option for independent designers and brands that are seeking non-traditional channels to market for their creations. The virtual stores for several years have already positioned in developed countries as an alternative for buyers to purchase items of all kinds, and receive them easily in the comfort of their homes. In Colombia, young designers have found on the Internet, a natural channel to offer their creations. Through blogs and pages created on sites like Facebook or MySpace, designers publish pictures of their products and make use of social networks to reach even more potential buyers would gladly refer their friends the latest discovery regarding fashion is concerned, obtaining with this customer to expand its market to people who might never have had access to their proposals.

Through these pages designers contact with their "fans", and may even develop unique designs to their request, which fits perfectly with the trend of customizing styles already deeply rooted in the youth of the world and of course also from Colombia.
But this mechanism has proven to be somewhat effective and some positive results, is not really the business model currently operating in the world. Great brands have understood for years the reality of the web as the undeniable future to get closer and closer to what their customers want, but not only the products they sell, but of those who sell them, ie of trademarks. There is no way in furtherance of the wishes of consumers as the Internet can do. Because it is feasible to track virtually every click, you can learn what works and does not within a range of products, promotional clothing and advertising has attracted more attention, all in the same time that consumers are visiting the website.
But for the major brands in the world this has been a process of years of trial and error, enabling them to finally understand very well the business model, where some keys have been offering products on exclusive offers, or personalized services such as creation by the consumer of the garment with which to carry, and often paying a higher cost, contrary to what has always been said of the Internet as a sales channel in which one can offer promotions.

But on the other side are the on-line multi-brand stores, which offer products of various designs or marks (www.urbanoutfitters.com, www.yoox.com, www.twostoned.co.uk), which offer a wide variety of products in a single space.
virtual stores, and brands will represent over 20% of its sales, and in some cases such as Victoria Secret that practically sells more by this means that in its more than 1000 stores in the U.S.

But even if you can believe that this sales channel only works optimally in the first world countries, here in Latin America, we see that things are moving strongly in countries such as Brazil (U.S. $ 3,000 million in 2008), Argentina (U.S. $ 1,000 million in 2008) and Chile (U.S. $ 300 million in 2007) and that the consumer really understands that issues like security really are even more critical in a traditional shopping channel. This of course if you have a reliable site where "pass card". As in Colombia there are already companies that specialize in this type of Non-payments, which are already using supermarkets and brand with a website and want to provide security to its customers.

But in Colombia it is necessary to start building this culture of consumption online, by joining forces. So the model of multi-brand online shops, young designers will be mixed with brands that best fits our market. The consumer may receive a more reliable space to find the brands you know and proposals from independent designers on one stage, forming an eclectic mix that lets you customize your style with the best of the "two worlds". All this must be backed by a serious logistic distribution, which users can even know that part of the delivery process is an order, how long will take to get, and customer service ready to solve any doubt real time.

If the future of Internet commerce is already present in other countries around the world and Latin America, Colombia must start the process, enabling it to get out of that lethargy without just cause which is, but with business models that seek to generate value to the experience, independent of the fact the practicality of the environment and the simple exhibition of photographs. The e-commerce can not be the same to sell USB's and phones that sell fashion.