Curated commerce

Who among us does not enjoy the delight of unboxing? Inside is the thing you've ordered but wait…there's something unexpected. Once you realise the extra item is a free gift, your curiosity takes over and you unearth a cool surprise that leads you to say, "How did they know?"

In a data-driven age where digital commerce experiences are guided by gobs of granular behavioural information, I put forth the notion the most captivating part of a personalised digital commerce experience is serendipity. An unexpected treasure guided by a robust blend of consumer information and clever curation is a winning formula that applies to online merchants from the megastores to mom-and-pop operations.

If you have not been following the latest in culinary commerce, subscription boxes in which your gourmet cravings are satisfied each month with cookies, pickles, whiskey or an array of healthy snacks, are a hot commodity. A new take on the venerable Fruit of the Month Club, (Harry & David's 1936 innovation), with a contemporary, digital twist can be seen in Mouth (pickles, sweets, etc..), Pastoral Cheese Club, Craft Coffee and others who boast a wide assortment of difficult-to-find, expertly tested wares as well as the stowaway surprise that comes in the monthly box. The scenario goes like this: You like pickles? It's a good bet (based on our data about your buying habits), you also like craft beer. Just for being a loyal club member, here's a trial size of the latest seasonal ale. You like the brew? - We have plenty more where that came from. Here's a coupon for $10 off your membership to our new craft beer club.

Supply-side, content-rich, curated commerce is a key driver to this new wave of subscription-based merchants but the lessons from this segment have practical application to all areas of digital commerce.

* Serendipity: You want to surprise and delight your customer, but stay within the boundaries of your product category. It would be unwise to add a sample of the latest elk jerky to a box intended for members of your "Hair Brush of the Month Club."

* Be smart with data: You can elevate your monthly extras to an art form using your customer data to create offers for products that appeal to your target demographics. If you are a purveyor of men's neckties, start off with a sample size of high-end cologne in your delivery. Include a coupon for an initial purchase and carefully track the response.

* Content: The vast majority of subscription commerce sites boast powerful visual elements as well as well-written product descriptions that include a consistent personal narrative - we tried this product and liked it, so we are passing it along to you.

The author is Allen Weiner, research VP, Gartner. Re-printed with permission. Link: http://blogs.gartner.com/allen_weiner/2014/05/01/curated-commerce-and-the-wisdom-of-supply-side-personalization/