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Spring 2000 Webzine

In this issue: Baglady Boarding Pass | Gadget Review | ITLA 2000 | LL Bean TRAVELER | Summer Sneak Peek

Interview with L.L. Bean TRAVELER's Steve Fuller (cont.)

Page 2 of 2 [Click here to go to page 1]

The Catalog Travelite: Describe your team at TRAVELER. Fuller: It's a small and incredibly diverse group. Roughly half have been at L.L.Bean for more than three years, the balance are new to the company. Their backgrounds range from working in our own luggage factory to stints at Calvin Klein & Ralph Lauren. Travelite: How do you feel TRAVELER stands out as a travel merchandise catalog? Fuller: I'll outline some of the goals we set in place for TRAVELER relative to the marketplace : Value: First and foremost, we were dumbstruck by some of the prices being charged for travel products. Eighty dollars for a shirt or $500 for a ballistic rolling pullman didn't meet our standards of a good value. One immediate goal for TRAVELER was to offer better items to our customers at a better price. Practicality: Many of the products we were finding were also too "gimmicky." One customer said it best when he asked us to make sure that our new clothing "didn't make him look like he was on a rhino hunt" We're convinced that our travelers want the benefits of specifically designed travel clothing (wrinkle resistance, packability, easy care, etc. ) but in more traditional silhouettes. Selection:We could find catalogs with a lot of travel clothing. We could find others with lots of luggage and accessories. But there seemed to be no catalogs that could provide a balance of both. TRAVELER is geared to be a complete resource. Ease of Shopping: One universal comment heard across our focus groups was that many of the travel catalogs are almost impossible to shop. The organization is confusing, prices were tough to find, etc. We have made a concerted effort with TRAVELER to make the book flow logical and easy to browse. On E-Commerce Travelite: As a mail-order company, what sort of advantages and/or disadvantages are you encountering in e-commerce? Fuller: Our advantages in this channel far outweigh any disadvantages. In many ways, the web is simply an extension of the "direct-to-consumer" business model that we've operated under for 88 years. Our experience with order fulfillment, customer service, product sourcing, shipping and inventory practices are clear benefits to llbean.com. As to challenges, legacy systems are probably at the top of the list. Whereas a startup can design its customer databases around this new channel, we've spent a great deal of energy ensuring that online information would flow seamlessly into our existing systems: not always an easy task. Towards that end, you might not find a lot of the latest "gee-whiz" effects on our site; we've spent our resources ensuring that customer service levels are up to L.L. Bean standards. Travelite: There was a lot of buzz last Christmas about Web shopping. How do you see the Web site as working with your travel catalog? Do you feel visitors would have an easier time simply thumbing through your print catalog instead of getting lost in your big Web site? Fuller: "Different strokes for different folks." We want to make sure our channels are easy to shop --- whether it's our retail store, catalogs or web sites. It's up to the individual as to which method they prefer. Travelite: With all the buzz about Web shopping came its ugly side; problems with customer service and merchandise returns. What sort of service can an L.L. Bean customer expect? Fuller: You'll find someone who can help you with your order 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The order information on the customer service rep's screen is identical, whether placed through the catalog or our web site. Travelite: For someone who may have ordered from your print catalog in the past, can you provide some reasons or incentives for which the Web site may be a more preferred ordering method now? Fuller: As I mentioned earlier, our first priority has been to ensure that llbean.com upholds the company's customer service standards. But as a web shopper, I personally feel that there are three benefits to ordering through llbean.com : LLBMail: We now have special email that will give you first notice as to an item going on sale. On-Line Stock Check: You can check the inventory status of an item right online. Address Book: My favorite. Our address book allows you to save frequently used address for shipping gifts, etc. The Future Travelite: What do you see as the future of the travel merchandise industry? Where do you see it going? Fuller: Even in the short time we've had the TRAVELER group together, we've been amazed by the new developments in fabric technology. After a period of inactivity, there's been a flurry of new products and technologies -- performance synthetics that feel like natural fibers, natural fibers that perform like synthetics, anti-bacterial/anti-odor fabrics -- readers should expect to see some incredible new products being driven by these technologies in the next year or so. Regarding luggage, the ever-changing carry-on guidelines will continue to play a big role. We've seen movement towards the two extremes --- bags small enough to be checked and bags big enough to hold everything in your apartment. The in-between sized suitcase has lost favor. # # # # # L.L. Bean's new TRAVELER catalog is great news for traveliters. If you haven't already, definitely check them out -- I highly recommend it. And tell you that the Baglady at the Travelite FAQ Web site sent ya!

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