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PFSweb, Inc.
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PFSW
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Q1 2008 Earnings Call
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May 13, 2008
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<Q John Fitzgerald>: Why do you think that is?
<A Mark Layton>: Im not the professional on the Wall Street side. So thats why I rely on
the financial advisors that weve got. Weve talked to a number of our large shareholders. And
clearly as I acknowledged, we understand there are pros and cons. The outweighing factor here is
the competitive environment that we see from a customer standpoint and our need to kind of get this
cloud out of the way. Even if the share price were to fall temporarily, ultimately, the market
value were fall ultimately, it eliminates in the general public the question about the de-listing
notice. So that was the overriding factor of where we are. So operator, well move onto the next
caller now. John, thanks for your questions.
Operator: Yes, sir. Your next question comes from George Walsh of Gilford Securities.
<Q George Walsh>: Mark, could you speak to with eCOST in the mix the what are you doing
in order to drive the higher level margin business as part of the product mix that is sold in any
particular quarter? Is there special marketing things youre doing? Or is it just a matter of
getting more product available on the site?
<A Mark Layton>: There are two specific things. One weve added a weve only been at it
three weeks now, so we added a weekly HotSheet thats just housewares and leisure store products
only. That sheet has had good response rates to it, frankly has had as good of response rates as
our technology and consumer electronics HotSheets have. Again, those are targeted to our existing
customer base, but we still get about 20% of our responses from our daily email marketing being new
customers. Thats the viral impact of the marketing that goes on. So its too early for us to
have measurable results. We are now going all of our houseware, For the Home and Leisure store
advertising has just been done on Sunday the last three weeks. Were going to try our first
weekday HotSheet on that this week and measure the responses on it in contrast to a consumer
electronics and technology HotSheet. So to our existing customer base is number one.
The second part of it is that because of the higher margin characteristics of these products, the
hypothesis that we have and again, I dont have enough data yet to prove this out, but my initial
data and indication shows me that I can pay about three or four times the price to acquire a new
customer via shopping comparison engines, for example, leading with a houseware product than I can
leading with a technology product. And that has to do with the gross margin dollars involved in
the sale and the gross margin dollars of the subsequent sale of the kind of buyer that you actually
obtain or acquire through this. So with these higher margin characteristics, it opens up a number
of the web marketing avenues that we have curtailed significantly over the last few years because
we found we were acquiring unprofitable customers with technology props. So those are the two
areas that were leading with right now.
The third one, which will expand in the coming months, will be in our affiliate marketing activity.
There are a number of affiliate sites that focus on these types of products that were previously
not interested and being an affiliate of eCOST because we were a technology and consumer
electronics site. So well circle back with our affiliate networks and begin to add affiliate
relationships as well.
<Q George Walsh>: Okay. But we should expect that price to acquire a customer to start
ticking up from here?
<A Mark Layton>: If were successful with this, yes, youll see the you may see the price
to acquire go up, but we should also see gross margin mix grow up as well. So they kind of go hand
in hand. Right now, its small and its not measurable in either piece.
<Q George Walsh>: Okay. So those wont necessarily be concurrent to start out?
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