Online shopping continues to infiltrate consumer shopping behavior as e-commerce evolves across digital channels and grows its stronghold in the consumer’s purchase journey. In fact, according to the 2018 Global Lifestyle Monitor, 72 percent of global respondents said that they shop for clothes online.
So the e-commerce “store” is no doubt a critical business touchpoint in apparel worldwide. As a result, global brands and retailers are transitioning from heavily focusing on brick-and-mortar properties to prioritizing more agile e-commerce points of sale.
However, because consumers are visiting multiple apparel retail sites in this always-on shopping ecosystem, brands and retailers need new ways to get an e-commerce edge in order to drive sales.
Despite needing this edge, at this critical storefront, brands and retailers are burying the information about their products that matter most to the consumer to help entice a purchase. Consumers are more conscious than ever of what the products they purchase are made from, and they seek out this information. But, right now, online communications aren’t featuring this as a differentiator, and instead only touching on the basics of size, color and product dimensions—even for products made from natural fiber inputs like cotton.
Brands and retailers aren’t leveraging a digital vehicle to effectively demonstrate greater product benefits—a communication touchpoint that’s inherently part of a brick-and-mortar store.
The COTTON USA™ Virtual Hangtag can provide this solution, specifically for products made with U.S cotton. The hangtag helps brands and retailers inform their consumers’ buying experience by highlighting the U.S. cotton content in their apparel products. The virtual hangtag simply “pops up” as consumers are hovering over item descriptions, engaging consumers to click through to a video that brings the product and how it’s made to life right on their digital screens.
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With this feature, consumers are instantly receiving the information they need to make an informed purchase decision, without having to leave the retailer’s site. It enables retailers to communicate those greater product, purchase-enticing benefits that lead to higher conversion rates by:
- Providing easy-to-digest information that educates about the high standards of your product
- Spreading the word that your products are produced sustainably, using the highest quality raw materials
In addition to this optimal point-of-sale communication, the COTTON USA™ Virtual Hangtag also adds premium value to brand and retailer products. A consumer survey conducted by COTTON USA in 2017 showed that over half of all global consumers associate the COTTON USA™ Mark with comfort, quality, reliability, a premium brand and trust—all leading attributes in purchase decision making, even online. More important, a separate study that evaluated the efficacy of hangtags revealed that nearly two-thirds of consumers surveyed would pay more for a product with the COTTON USA™ Mark.
Licensees may utilize the COTTON USA™ Virtual Hangtag on their online retail sites globally to showcase that the materials in their products are from a source that’s trusted as quality, high value and sustainable. We invite you to learn more about the Virtual Hangtag and to apply for usage through the form here.
Additionally, to learn more about qualifying to become a COTTON USA™ licensee, please reach out to the COTTON USA representative near you. Through our Licensee Program, COTTON USA supports partners with a range of value-added services that drive your business, including networking events, educational forums, industry seminars and more. Since 1989, COTTON USA has been licensed to over 51,000 product lines representing more than 3.8 billion apparel and home textile products, with licensees from 31 countries.
At COTTON USA, we believe that the global cotton supply chain can see bigger benefits when materials used in apparel and textile products are from sources that are trusted as quality, high value and sustainable, and when these attributes are meaningfully communicated to consumers worldwide.
About COTTON USA
COTTON USA™ promotes U.S. cotton around the world. We’re dedicated to spreading the message of how our family farmers are employing innovative precision agriculture techniques for a kinder, greener world. It’s just one reason why COTTON USA is the Cotton the World Trusts. Look closer at COTTON USA. We think you’ll like what you see. CCI is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Click here to learn more.