Jeff Brunings, USWeb/CKS, 408/986-6721
[email protected]
Williams-Sonoma Takes Brides Online
New Site Offers Bridal Registry and Gift Purchasing
SAN FRANCISCO - June 9, 1999 - Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM), the premier home-centered specialty retailer in the United States, announced that it has successfully launched its new bridal registry site, www.wswedding.com.
"We are thrilled with the success of http://www.wswedding.com/ . It has surpassed all expectations. In its first six days, the site has generated more sales than our largest Williams-Sonoma store without any marketing or advertising to our customers," said Pat Connolly, executive vice president and general manager of Williams-Sonoma catalog division.
"Our goal was to offer the ultimate in customer service. We're giving brides and wedding guests the ability to access registries and purchase gifts anywhere at anytime -- on-line, in our stores, or by calling, 1-800-443-8797."
Wswedding.com is Williams-Sonoma's debut of an e-commerce enabled web presence and the most comprehensive bridal registry available. The site is unique because it is totally integrated with the retail and catalog channels. Status of the bride's registry is instantaneously updated across all three channels and gift purchasers are accurately informed online of item availability. All orders are gift-wrapped and shipped via Federal Express within 24 hours from the company's catalog fulfillment center.
Development of the site in a record five-month period resulted from an intense collaboration among Williams-Sonoma; Prophet Brand Strategy, a leading brand management consulting group; and USWeb/CKS, the leading strategic internet and marketing communication firm.
A primary consideration in developing the online registry was to build the site with a minimum impact to existing systems and processes, including the current mail order systems and in-store registry process. The result is a robust e-commerce infrastructure that leverages Williams-Sonoma's existing back-end systems -- an order management system, a retail registry system and a distribution center system -- and serves as a platform for Williams-Sonoma's long-term e-commerce strategy.
"Williams-Sonoma's ability to leverage a strong brand, provide unique products and services, and provide multiple, complimentary channels for serving customers reflects a leadership position in the Digital Economy," said Robert Shaw, CEO, USWeb/CKS. "The thoughtfully planned migration towards full e-commerce also reflects Williams-Sonoma's commitment to providing superior consumer services, flexibility, and ease-of-access to product and services."
Wswedding.com enables registrants to edit and conveniently check the status of their registry online while allowing wedding guests to easily select and purchase registered items. For gift-givers, wswedding.com provides well-organized lists of registered items each of which has a photo that can be enlarged for easy viewing and a simple tracking list of items already purchased in the registry.
The site also includes the ability to organize the list by price. Especially helpful are gift planning guides to typical sets of products, such as types of bakeware and glassware, that couples most frequently need when starting out. Couples can also visit a local store to look at and feel the products they want to register for.
Williams-Sonoma retained Prophet Brand Strategy to apply Prophet's expertise in brand management and digital commerce to the Williams-Sonoma name. The Prophet team, led by President Michael Dunn, worked extensively with Williams-Sonoma management to convert their business model from utilizing technology as strictly a support tool, into one where technology serves as the prime interface with the customer.
"We believe companies such as Williams-Sonoma that build multiple touchpoints with the customer, including brick and mortar, catalog and online, will be the long-term winning retailers," said Dunn. "Most consumers react to different stimuli, the richer the total stimuli, the more pleasing the shopping experience. Each reinforces the other."
About Williams-Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a national specialty retailer of high quality kitchenware and other products for the home. These products are marketed through 300 retail stores and four mail order catalogs representing four distinct merchandising strategies: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Hold Everything and Chambers. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. Revenues for 1998 exceeded $1.1 billion.
About USWeb/CKS
USWeb/CKS (Nasdaq:USWB - news) is a professional services firm that works with companies to define strategies and implement innovative ways to build their businesses by combining the expertise of strategy, Internet technology and marketing communications.
USWeb/CKS helps clients differentiate their products and services, strengthen customer relationships, leverage human capital and improve business efficiency in the digital economy. With more than 2,500 professionals, USWeb/CKS has helped hundreds of businesses advance their marketing communications programs as well as traditional IT and Internet systems -- everything from brand development and advertising to business process automation and e-commerce solutions. The Company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. Additional information about USWeb/CKS is available at uswebcks.com or by calling 408/987-3200.
About Prophet Brand Strategy
Prophet Brand Strategy (www.prophet.com) focuses on maximizing the asset value of brand for clients via two key practice areas: Brand Strategy and Digital Commerce. Clients include some of the world's best known brands, including Adidas, Audi, Levi-Strauss & Co., MasterCard, Wells Fargo and Williams-Sonoma. The company maintains offices in San Francisco and New York, with a London office to open later this year.