August 19 2008

Polo Ralph Lauren launches world's first luxury m-commerce site

Trailblazing mobile commerce site combines strong branding and good looks with ease of use from a mobile device.

Polo Ralph Lauren has become the first major luxury retailer to launch a full-function mobile commerce site. And, in keeping with its upmarket image, the new site combines strong branding and design to deliver a shopping experience which is a long way from the usual thinking that mobile sites should be simple, cut-down versions of the main website.

Along with the upmarket design elements, Polo Ralph Lauren is using QR Codes to make it as easy as possible for mobile shoppers to access its site. The QR Codes, special 2D barcodes that can be captured by camera phones and used to direct a phone's web browser directly to a particular website, are being incorporated into all the brand's advertising in magazines, posters and elsewhere.

Beginning in the US, the company is starting out offering its US Open collection and RL Classics ranges via the new m.ralphlauren.com site and says it will add more ranges over the coming months.

"Polo Ralph Lauren has been at the forefront of incorporating technology into our business and we are constantly challenging ourselves to find new ways to present the world of Ralph Lauren to our consumer," says David Lauren, senior vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications for Polo Ralph Lauren and son of founder Ralph. "The mobile device was a natural next step."

To get customers up-to-speed with the concept of mobile commerce, Polo Ralph Lauren has put together a detailed information section about the new site on its main website — required reading for any retailer thinking of putting a mobile commerce offer together.

by Sarah Clark (Web Editor)