 | Content (0-4): 3 |
 | Pricing (0-2): 2 |
 | Navigation (0-4): 3.5 |
 | Style/Design (0-4): 3 |
 | Supplementary information (0-2): 1.5 |
 | Overall incentive to shop (0-4): 3 |
 | Total (0-20): 16 |
Scoring system explained – click here | |
Website of the week – Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is the flag carrier of the Republic of Turkey, based in Atatürk International Airport, Istanbul. It operates a network of scheduled flights to 123 international and 32 domestic cities in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US.
The airline’s inflight retail programme is managed by Setur, an established company in Turkey’s tourism sector which is a part of the Koc Group, one of Turkey’s largest companies which operates in the automotive, energy, banking and electronics sectors as well as tourism and duty free.
Turkish Airlines has a dedicated duty free website which can be linked from the airline’s main website. For this review, we will be focusing on the airline’s duty free website.
STYLE
Upon accessing Turkish Airlines’ duty free website, visitors will be greeted by a very structured and neat layout, with a striking colour combination of deep shades of blue, red and white with a touch of black and grey. The website has a professional and organised look, with information neatly displayed and segregated by boxed sections that are meticulously aligned.
The background, reminiscent of the sky at dusk, features the silhouette of a flock of birds flying across the sky followed by an aircraft. The bottom of the page features the silhouette of a woman toting multiple shopping bags in the viewing gallery, watching a plane fly by.
The moving birds and aircraft adds an interesting animated touch to the website while the use of silhouettes instead of full-coloured pictures keeps the website looking classy and not overly distracting.
CONTENT AND USABILITY
The various boxed sections on the homepage are displayed under two main columns.
Found on the top right are links to the product catalogue and the product categories. Below that is a status box displaying links to view the shopping basket, existing orders and to log in to the buyer’s account.
These are followed by five more boxes displaying contact information for Setur inflight services, a search tool, a “˜Latest Products’ feature, information on duty free shopping limits and pre-order conditions/procedures.
The boxes under the right column remain fixed throughout and do not change – except for the status box that updates the shopping basket summary and log-in details accordingly. Only the content under the left column, which displays the products, changes as the visitor browses through the product categories.
This makes the website very straightforward and easy to use. It is also convenient for visitors that useful tools and information are always visible and easily accessible on the right.
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The homepage features a structured layout with information neatly displayed and segregated by boxed sections |
Product offer
There are five categories: Perfumes & Cosmetics, Spirits, Cigarettes & Cigars, Accessories and Chocolate & Toys.
In the product listing column on the left, each product is displayed in a separate box in a neat grid of three boxes per row. Visitors have the option to display 15, 30, 60, 90 or 180 items per page depending on their preferences. The total number of pages for the category is displayed in the middle at the top; visitors can either navigate straight to a particular page number or click on the “˜Next Page’ or “˜Previous Page’ buttons located on the top right or left, respectively.
We like the level of flexibility presented for browsing the catalogue as well as the easy overview of the total number of pages and products listed.
A thumbnail image of the product, the brand name, product name, price in Euros and the button to add the item to the shopping basket are displayed in each box. The labeling and display of products are neat and consistent while product images are attractive and of good quality.
Products are not listed in any particular order although products from the same brand tend to be listed together in clusters. Browsing of products could perhaps be made even easier by listing the items either by brand, in alphabetical order or by price.
Each product thumbnail can be clicked on to display an enlarged, close-up view of the item in a separate pop-up window with a brief product description. The enlarged images are of good quality as well and generously-sized for a clearer view of product details.
A good range of 59 items are offered under Perfumes & Cosmetics. Cosmetics and beauty products are listed alongside and amongst fragrances; segregating the two product types might be a better idea for easier browsing. However, customers will feel spoilt for choice with the enticing images of a good variety of fragrances and beauty products from well-known brands.
Perfumes from Kenzo, Davidoff, Joop!, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Nina Ricci, Bvlgari and Paco Rabanne are available. Coffret sets and perfume duo sets are offered as well. The category also lists the latest skincare products, cosmetics, make-up palettes and value sets from Estée Lauder, Clinique, Guerlain, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent.
A total of 13 products are available under Spirits, featuring brands such as Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniel’s, The Famous Grouse, Smirnoff, Finlandia, Camus and Baileys.
No product images are available for the Cigarettes & Cigars category – in place of them is the Setur Duty Free logo. A good range and variety of 30 items are available under this category.
Accessories is a varied category, featuring a total of 48 items ranging from watches, jewellery, sunglasses and writing instruments to travel accessories such as solar powered travel charger, universal adaptor, battery-operated shaver and electric toothbrush. Timepieces from Lacoste, Calvin Klein, Swatch and Skagen are offered while necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets from Orient Art, Misaki, Thomas Sabo, Swarovski and Kenzo are available.
Chocolate & Toys offers confectionery items from Toblerone, Milka, M&M’s and Nestle in giftable boxes and travel packs. For young travellers, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels cars and the UNO card game are available. The category also features toys and souvenirs from Turkish Airlines such as aeroplane models, plush toys and caps.
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Each product thumbnail can be clicked on to display an enlarged view of the item in a separate pop-up window |
Information
Useful information on duty free shopping limits and pre-order procedures and conditions are clearly and visibly displayed on the homepage at all times. The information on duty free limits are however, only for Turkey; visitors will need to check elsewhere for other destinations.
Detailed procedures on ordering items online, using the shopping basket and submission of the order form are also displayed on the shopping basket page.
Noteworthy features
The useful search tool available on the right throughout the site makes it easy and convenient for shoppers to locate specific items. Items are located via brand names or keywords.
The shopping basket feature makes shopping a simple and organised procedure. Customers can keep track of the items in their shopping basket via the neat table – complete with small product thumbnails – as well as amend or update the items in the basket before proceeding to submit their order form and personal details.
Customers must register for an account before they can submit their order. This also helps to keep track of customer information which can make future purchases more convenient. The website also allows customers who have already submitted their orders to log in and view their existing order details.
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The shopping basket is an easy-to-use and organised tool; Pre-order conditions and procedures as well as information on duty free limits are visibly and conveniently displayed in boxed sections |
NAVIGATION
The website has a highly structured layout with neat presentation of information, making the navigation of the site straightforward and easy. The only section with changing contents is the left column which displays the product listings and shopping basket. Boxed sections on the right column are fixtures, reducing the need to navigate across too many pages.
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Turkish Airlines’ duty free website is professional and well-designed. The layout and display of information is consistent, easy to use and attractive which makes browsing the site a positive experience. The product offer spans a good range and variety and is enhanced by the good usage of product images. The shopping basket, pre-order process and search tool are organised and well-executed. Improvements can be made to product categorisation and organisation and the addition of a currency converter tool would be beneficial. However, the simple but excellent execution of the website underlines Turkish Airlines’ and Setur Duty Free’s focus on quality.
What we like:
o Structured and organised design and layout
o Consistent and attractive use of good quality images
o Flexible browsing options and neat product presentation
o Easy navigation and convenient access to useful tools and information
o Search tool and shopping basket
o Pre-order service
What needs adding/improving:
o Currency converter
o More comprehensive information on duty free allowances
o Better product categorisation and organisation
Website of the week scoring system explained:
Content: How wide is the range of items on offer? Are there good quality photos and product descriptions?
Pricing: Are product prices listed? For all products?
Navigation: How easy is the site to use?
Style/Design: How does the site look?
Supplementary information: On allowances, currencies, after-sales service, useful tips and so on.
Overall incentive to shop: This includes tone, promotions, offers, competitions and, importantly, pre-order.
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