As much as I hate to admit it, I really don’t know EVERYTHING.  After spending quite some time in fashion, working as a wardrobe stylist, women’s ready-to-wear buyer, and designer, I took the leap to the eCommerce world about two years ago.  I was under the impression that this transition would be nearly seamless — after all, how different could the fashion and eCommerce industries be?  My vision of an easy transition was quickly destroyed by a barrage of acronyms: RFP, SEO, SEM, PPC, OMS, SAAS.  I realized that I couldn’t really fake it; I would have to define and learn the meanings behind that laundry list of letters ASAP.

Fast forward two years.  I have put my Manolo Blahnik collection in storage (ok…not really) and have become one of “those” people who speak in acronyms.  Lately, I’ve seen that many of the retailers and brand manufacturers looking to make changes to or, in some cases, launch their eCommerce business are in the fashion space.  We seem to hear the same stories from these retailers.  They have outgrown their current platform (they didn’t really understand exactly what it was that they purchased two years ago); they do not really understand the providers in the market; they don’t really know what it is they need.

And those are the experienced fashion eRetailers!  What about established, successful brick-and mortar stores with years of retail experience who are looking to launch their online business?  Their stories are quite reminiscent of my own from a few years back: “I know all there is to know about retail… how different could this eCommerce stuff be?”  Fortunately for me, I was only changing careers, not spending a sizable amount of money on eCommerce technology.  Providers are making assumptions that they’re always selling their solution to a retailer who is savvy about webstores.   While the retailer may be very successful and smart, it doesn’t necessarily follow that they know every eCommerce acronym and buzzword.  I guarantee that there will be a minimum of three acronyms used during the first ten minutes of their sales pitch that require translation.   Don’t be afraid, my fellow fashionistas, to ask questions and get explanations.  Better yet, do your eCommerce research before you go shopping for a provider.  And throw out some acronyms and buzzwords of your own!  Let’s see if they know WWD or where ‘the tents’ are!