Neiman Marcus Boosts E-Commerce Conversion Through Visa Checkout
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Department Store Launches New Effort to Make Online Shopping More User Friendly
Luxury Daily reported that the Nieman Marcus department stores have added Visa Checkout as a payment method for its e-commerce site, in an effort to make online shopping more convenient for its consumers. Providing cross-channel services allows retailers to drive in-store traffic and potentially boost sales.
Visa Checkout is a quick and easy payment service that enables consumers throughout the United States, Canada and Australia to pay for goods online, on any device, in just a few clicks. The new service has currently been adopted by about 10 online retailers. Consumers create a single account with Visa, entering their credit card information and address, and then they can check out with a user name and password across ecommerce sites that enable Visa Checkout. An account can store multiple credit cards, allowing customers to select which card to use, making it as easy to use as a physical wallet and swiping technology.
“As people around the world spend more time and money online, particularly using mobile devices, they are demanding a fast, secure and frictionless way to shop using the payment cards they already know and trust,” said Charlie Scharf, chief executive officer, Visa Inc. “Through insights provided by our cardholders, financial institutions and merchant partners, we designed an online payment experience that continues to deliver on this promise, bringing us closer to the simplicity and speed of the ‘swipe’ in the online world.”
Nieman Marcus also used social media to spread the word about Visa Checkout, including an introduction to the service in an email to subscribers about jumpsuits.
In a video, Visa describes Checkout as “The shortest distance between you and your new favorite thing.” Visa also mentions the benefit of a consistent purchase experience across mobile and desktop.
At the checkout screen, Nieman Marcus consumers can create an account without leaving the retailer’s site, by selecting an icon included below PayPal.
In addition to adding Visa Checkout, Neiman Marcus has made other recent improvements to its Omni channel presence, including options to purchase online and pick up in-store.
Neiman Marcus announced the new capability in an email campaign featuring Diane von Furstenberg. Providing cross-channel services allows retailers to drive in-store traffic and potentially boost sales .
The online checkout experience continues to be a consumer pain point with shopping cart abandonment rates as high as 68 percent , according to research firm, eMarketer. In many cases, consumers have to click through multiple screens, filling out detailed information before completing a purchase. The problem is even more pronounced as devices become smaller with 86 percent of shoppers never completing their purchases on mobile devices.
Besides Neiman Marcus, Pizza Hut, Staples and United Airlines are some of the newest merchants who will offer Visa Checkout. They join other top online retailers, such as 1-800-FLOWERS®, Beyond the Rack, Cineplex Entertainment, Jos. A. Bank, Live Nation, lululemon athletica, MovieTickets.com, Newegg, Rakuten.com, Teleflora, Ticketmaster, TigerDirect and Wine Enthusiast which plan to use Visa Checkout for quick and easy payments. Visa Checkout replaces the V.me by Visa service, first introduced in 2012.
“Visa Checkout offers our customers another simple and secure way to quickly order online from Pizza Hut,” said Baron Concors, chief digital officer, Pizza Hut. “We’re focused on making the digital ordering experience as easy as possible and adding this checkout option with Visa Checkout does just that.”