Edgars site has great potential, but disappoints

When the Edgars.co.za went live in September, it was heralded as one of the first steps in the Edcon Group`s e-business strategy.

In support of and in addition to this venture, the group is investing heavily in efficiency enabling technology. But it`s not just the financial backing that will ensure success of a consumer e-commerce site. Put simply, one needs something to buy, and that is the key area in which the Edgars site falls far short of the promises made in its hard-hitting media campaign.

In theory, a site offering Edgars goods delivered to a given address is a great idea - perfect for those who work long hours, can`t get to shops easily and/or tend to forget special occasions. However, in practice, the site is rather disappointing. Besides being frustratingly slow, it offers a very limited range of goods.

The site is heavily branded with the trademark Edgars red and grey colours, but the overall effect is carried off quite successfully. The design and page layout strike a good balance, at no point appearing too busy or too drab.

Edgars.co.za styles itself as 'Your lifestyle shop`, offering the melange of products and services one can expect to find in-store at its real-world branches. At least, that`s how it`s meant to work. In reality, you`ll be lucky to be able to make headway during one, unbroken session. Whether the problem is broken links or time-out sessions, my visit to the Edgars site resulted in my being redirected to the front page, and having to log-in several times.

A very useful feature is the ability to apply for an Edgars account online (all such sessions are secured using 56-bit encryption), though it isn`t a requirement to purchase goods from the site. One need only register as a user, and have one of several credit cards supported by the site - the only catch is that one must wait 24 hours before having purchasing capability enabled.

In addition, one can maintain all Edgars accounts, apply for additional cards or find out more about Edgars brick-and-mortar stores. The site also features such useful tools as a gift service, a size chart, order tracking, and a decision-maker to help the indecisive shopper.

The site also has a rewards programme of sorts, which assigns an Edgars cash card to users paying for transactions with bank credit cards. All such purchases are considered cash purchases; users receive a point for every rand paid in cash, and after collecting 800 points, receive a 10% discount voucher on the next purchase.

The site`s navigation bars remain anchored to each page, making it easy to find what you want regardless of where you happen to find yourself.

As mentioned before, the site`s product range is of a very low grade. This and other points come under the spotlight in the litmus test.

Registering as a user and applying for an account are both relative easy to do. Unfortunately, I started experiencing problems when, after the nth session timed out on me, I tried to log-in yet again, only to have neither my new nor my originally allocated password recognised. Kudos to the customer support call centre that sorted out the problem in record time.

I tried finding a child`s dress, but no children`s clothing is available online, which is surprising, when one considers the potential for online sales of gifts for babies and children. So I tried to locate a particular brand of moisturiser - no luck there either, because virtually no cosmetics are available through the site. However, a wide range of perfume is offered.

Nor could I locate a simple set of towels, any ladies work wear, or men`s jackets or ties. In categories where products are available, the choice is limited to between two and five products.

The delivery options also seem relatively convenient, especially for those sending gifts. Delivery fees start at R20 - for which you can collect your order from your nearest Edgars store seven working days after ordering (of course, you could instead walk into your nearest Edgars store immediately, at no charge, and choose from far a wider selection).

Orders can also be delivered in between two and seven working days at a cost of between R35 and R199.