Online store Zappos is one of the more unusual footwear resources. It is famous for its unusual corporate rules, pleasant working conditions, user friendliness and a wide range of products.
The history of a large-scale online store Zappos
The online store was created in 1991 by Nick Swinmoorne. It was named after the Spanish word zapatos (shoes). Apart from many other platforms for selling things that start off the offline market, Zappos was originally conceived as an online platform. The decision was risky: not everyone used the Internet in the nineties. And it is quite difficult to choose shoes without trying on. Nick Swinmourne managed to organize the work in such a way that the site survived the global crisis of the 2000s, and continues to actively develop now.
In July 2009, the company decided to join another major service for selling things Amazon on the basis of its own brand and online store.
Now Zappos is a company that has managed to raise profits to $ 1 billion in 10 years, has become a leader in the strategic development of social networks and entered the top 10 best employers according to Fortune.
The slightly insane atmosphere of orgy in the company’s office is not a myth. She can be seen during excursions.
Assortment and distinctive features of the product
Despite the fact that the online store Zappos started as a shoe boutique, now you can find clothes and accessories in it. Now it is one of the largest platforms for the sale of things for everyone, without separation by sex, gender or age. The store also works with the most famous brands:
- Adidas;
- Timberland;
- UGG;
- Versace.
The scale of a store is easiest to imagine in numbers. Zappos has 272 brands for men, 423 brands for women, and 155 brands for kids’ shoes in 2020.
An online store always thinks about its customers. Gradually, its developers found a way to represent the product as realistic as possible. This is how “virtual showcases” appeared, providing an opportunity to view the product from seven angles and in all possible colors. Photos are equipped with a zoom function that brings the image as close as possible. With it, you can see the quality and appearance of the fabric, the seams, the size of the rhinestones and so on. Also, each page is supplied with a video. Thus, we can even see the details that we do not notice when shopping in offline stores.
Zappos has won the love of users with a loyal attitude. If you are not satisfied with the order, you can return it with full compensation of the cost and delivery back. For this you need:
- Save the presentation of the product you ordered;
- Print “Return Label”;
- Stick it on the box with the package.
Also, for sales of goods from past collections with minimum prices, the online store has a 6PM division.
Fun company rules to attract new employees and customers
Zappos has created the best conditions not only for users, but also for professionals. Several books have even been written about her. The name of one of the most famous sounds like: “Delivering happiness. From Zero to Billion: A First-Hand Story of Building an Outstanding Company. Wrote the book by Tony Shay – co-owner and CEO of the company. He joined Zappos in 2000 after a $ 2 million investment. Tony admitted that he did not make a special bet on this online store. But after two other companies he invested went bankrupt, he looked at the platform differently.
In his book, he wrote about the rather eccentric rules of “life” of the company. The first interview is very different from the serious, stressful business conversations we are used to. It is rather a conversation with a psychologist about defeats, working on mistakes. This happens in the buffet mode with relaxing music. Then the employees travel a lot together. It helps to develop interaction skills, teamwork. Each specialist works in a call center for two weeks. Even the janitor.
And in 2015, all management positions were removed. So that specialists spend the maximum amount of effort on work. Tony Shay delivered an ultimatum. Those who disagree can quit and get paid in the amount of three months’ salary. There were 14% of all managers of the firm willing.
Despite the unique attitude of the company to the work of specialists, it was able to adjust all its processes in such a way as to be as convenient and loyal to the user as possible, as well as to eliminate the risk of errors of any kind. Zappos can be a real example for other online stores and employers.
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