 |
 |
The Cochin Duty Free site is a nice-looking, welcoming website. The homepage is embellished with stunning photographs of Cochin in Kerala, India in Flash animation |
INDIA. If travel retail websites were to be given report cards, Cochin Duty Free would receive an A for effort, though it still has some work to do on presentation.
The retailer’s shops are situated in Cochin Airport serving the state of Kerala, on the west coast of India.
Cochin Duty Free’s site is, on first impression, a nice-looking, welcoming website. The homepage is embellished with stunning photographs of Cochin in Flash animation. Framing them are the buttons, formatted in a simple style, enabling the user to select their desired option without fuss. Profile, Products, Promotions, Shop Location and Passenger Info comprise the top row of buttons while Tell A Friend, Resources, Site Map, News Desk and FAQs constitute the bottom row.
It is straightforward in its approach and leaves the user feeling in control. Several promotions are highlighted at the bottom as tasters, which say where they are available and until when they are valid.
Clicking through to any of the above-mentioned buttons opens up a second menu on the left-hand side with additional options Visual Tour, E cards, Keep Me Informed, Newsletter, Useful Links, and Privacy Policy.
Profile describes Cochin Duty Free in an easy, friendly style and, like the homepage, instils confidence in the user and invites them to peruse the site.
Resources lists a number of useful links such as banks and government sites.
News Desk has not yet been completed but is a promising concept.
Passenger Info links to another site which gives details of baggage claim rules, Customs duties and suchlike.
Visual Tour is a modest portfolio of photographs depicting Cochin Duty Free and the brands it carries. While the intention to display such visuals on the website is a good one, it would perhaps be better when put in context rather than self-standing. As a result, this function will suit only those with time to spare.
Products contains a vast directory of items stocked. Goods on offer can be tracked through several drop-down menus which help to narrow down your search. Although elaborate imagery is not essential to an efficient website, the lack of pictorial partnership is nevertheless disappointing.
The term Shop location hints at the whereabouts of the shops, so the user would expect a map of the terminal or a list of shops at Cochin Duty Free, but it offers neither; instead, it briefly explains that one duty free shop is located in Arrivals and the other two in Departures (after immigration and by the gates), though in a small airport this obviously is not a major concern
 |
To celebrate the launch of our new Travel Retail Web-Wide Index, each week we put the spotlight on one of the growing array of dedicated travel retail websites or web sections. Click here or on the image to read the index. |
Cochin Duty Free has good web intentions. The ideas are vibrant and the firm shows a keen interest in satisfying its customers.
Its initiative in creating a number of interesting options shows the retailer has the right attitude to its website – to serve the travelling consumer and meet their varying demands.
But the execution offers room for some improvements. Pricing, for example, is non-existent; products are listed neatly in order of department, category and brand, and product sizes are included, but the crucial element of retail cost to the traveller seems to have been left out – the travel retail industry seems divided on whether to list prices online or not.
The product enquiry form, which allows users to submit their queries on each product is a neat concept, but given that pricing is not included, it is not difficult to predict the most frequently-asked question.
Another area in which the website disappoints is in the spelling and grammar. Incorrect spelling of renowned brands such as Johnnie Walker could do with improvement. Grammar, too, leaves something to be desired. Such factors slightly undermine the impressive homepage photos and innovation evident elsewhere.
But Cochin Duty Free has what it takes to make the grade. With a little bit more work this site can be among the better examples of online travel retailing.
What we like about Cochin Duty Free:
Easy navigation
Unfussy, straightforward layout without being dull or static
Complete list of products stocked in an orderly fashion
Good attitude and great potential
What we think needs improving/adding:
Add product pricing
Correct spelling and grammar
Insert simple product pictures
Include a map of the terminal
Visit www.CochinDutyFree.com
Note: The Cochin Duty Free website does not appear on Google. When performing a Google search, the first entry is Cochin Airport, which contains the link to www.CochinDutyFree.com . To make searching easier, The Moodie Report’s Travel Retail Web-Wide Index and newly launched Duty Free Shopping Index.com both list www.cochindutyfree.com within their respective directories under “India”.
MORE WEBSITES OF THE WEEK
Website of the Week: Frankfurt Airport – 30/11/05
Website of the week: The Tappoo Group of Companies – 24/11/05
Travel retail website of the week: Korean Air – 16/11/05
Travel retail website of the week: Singapore Changi Airport’s impressive online gateway- 06/11/05
