The Online Highstreet, the new e-commerce site which has signed up
household names including Somerfield, Nationwide, C&A and Interflora, is
looking for an advertising agency to kick-start its battle for online
shoppers.
The site, which launched in August, has already contacted agencies
including Fallon McElligott, Mother and Spirit about a campaign.
The site was founded by Darren Liebman and Joe Green, both former
foreign exchange dealers. The venture is being backed by private
investors in the city and John Horner, the co-founder of the now defunct
Horner Collis & Kirvan, is the non-executive chairman.
The website, theonlinehighstreet.co.uk, launched with 40 retailers on
board and expects to have signed up another 100 within a year. The
company aims to get one million subscribers within 18 months. Amazon is
the only non-high street name associated with the venture so far.
The Online Highstreet links consumers automatically to retailers’
existing websites. There are also plans for most of the retailers to
design special macro-websites tailored for the Online Highstreet
customer groups which evolve from its database research.
All users must register their personal details before using the site.The
site’s home page is set up as a virtual high street, with branches of
big name outlets such as Barclays Bank lining the road. For search
purposes, shops are grouped into categories, including banks and
clothes.
