Gucci Unveils New Canadian Website

Italian luxury brand Gucci has revamped its Canadian website to reflect recent changes in the company. The updated site features rich images, editorial content and 'storytelling', in an attempt to strengthen consumers' connection to the label, according to Women's Wear Daily

A comparison of prices between the Canadian and American versions of Gucci's site shows that although absolute numbers are higher on the Canadian site, prices are generally lower when considering currency differences. 

Canadian site (screen capture)

Canadian site (screen capture)

U.S. site (screen capture)

U.S. site (screen capture)

Gucci's new CEO, Marco Bizzarri, explained the importance of a brand's website to Women's Wear Daily, including how websites are increasingly the first point of contact between a consumer and a brand, regardless if the consumer buys from the site. Consistency and focus are therefore key, he said, explaining how consumers research the web prior to making purchases. 

Gucci's Canadian website launched over the weekend under Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele. Mr. Bizzarri explained the importance of a creative director in providing uniqueness to the brand, in an age where many brands are becoming too market-driven.  

screen capture

screen capture

The new website is optimized to fit all screen sizes, with vertical scrolling, larger photos and intuitive navigation. Pages are dedicated to runway collections, signature items and special accessory projects, detailed photo mosaics, videos and “Wear With” looks. Remarkably, salespeople can search the site and stores anywhere in the world to look for products that are not locally available. 

After its Canadian and U.S. website launches, Gucci will revamp its European, Australian and Asian e-commerce sites. Mr. Bizzrri said that this will happen next year. Gucci's existing e-commerce site is enabled in 28 countries and available in eight languages, boasting more than 100 million unique visitors worldwide, annually.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: October 20, 2015