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Westfield plans virtual shopping centre
Ten years after it scrapped its plans for online shopping, the retailing juggernaut Westfield is preparing to launch Australia's first virtual shopping centre.
Westfield is in final negotiations with its tenants for their inclusion on the website. Once agreements are struck, the world's biggest shopping centre operator will accept online orders on behalf of retailers.
The executive chairman, Frank Lowy, first entertained plans for online shopping in the late 1990s but opted against it, fearing the loss of customers at Westfield malls. Now executives are understood to view the growth of online shopping as inevitable and are moving to cash in.
It is understood the online mall will be led by fashion, which the company sees as its strongest attraction, and split into categories including electronics and books.
The website westfield.com.au will be revamped to allow customers to make payments. It already allows users to shortlist items of interest but, to buy goods, shoppers still must go to a mall.
Shops that already have an established online presence may want to integrate their shopping trolley with that of the retailing giant. The majority will be virtual tenants, simply collecting and processing orders from the additional online point of sale.
It is not yet certain if retailers will pay rent on the site or if their inclusion will be covered by a sales commission. It is understood Westfield will not fulfil orders, leaving that to retailers.
Westfield declined to elaborate on the plans.
Read full story www.stuff.co.nz
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