Saks Fifth Avenue has revamped its online presence, via collaboration with Acquity Group.

The new online offering, Saks Direct, comes with several improvements to the online retail experience, including:

• The deployment of an interactive merchandising tool, a proprietary application licensed and customized for Saks Direct, which has led to a 30% reduction in product setup time.

• A system upgrade to Saks’ online merchandising program, which resulted in Saks’ highest performing week ever following the platform upgrade.

• The implementation of the Alfresco Content Management System, which gave Saks the capacity to incorporate video and multiple forms of content associated with products and designers.

“Our objective was to give the story behind the products” carried at Saks Fifth Avenue, Denise Incandela, chief marketing officer and president of Saks Direct, told Women’s Wear Daily. “We can use this as an outlet to engage with our customer and a portal for the best of fashion editorial.”

The new site will also include blogs, a strategy that Macy’s has also recently implemented.

Socially Savvy Macy’s

Increasingly, department stores are pushing e-commerce initiatives, after hanging back for the last decade. Macy’s, in fact, has been dubbed a social media leader in its industry.

High-end Brands’ Apps

A variation of this theme can be seen in the growing number of high-end company’s mobile apps. Luxury brands from auto makers to watch designers to high-end cosmetics producers have developed some presence for the iPhone. One example is Chanel’s newly-launched photo booth Facebook app for its lipstick line, Luxury Daily reports.

Consumers with Webcams can pose for a series of four photographs and share on their Facebook walls. They pick a tint, and a selection of words including “boy,” “aventure,” “liberte” and “monte carlo,” for the picture.