By George Anderson
The combination of a growing Hispanic population and a study from Internet Retailer that showed many Latinos are going online to buy things was enough to convince management at The Christmas Place it needed a Spanish language web site.
Carolyn Fairbank Biggs, chief operating officer of The Christmas Place, told the Knoxville News Sentinel, "We have been monitoring the growth of Hispanics using Web sites. They continue to prefer to interact in Spanish."
Faye Hughes, marketing coordinator for the Pigeon Forge, Tenn. retailer, said the store draws shoppers from around the world and many of those are from countries where Spanish is the official language. In those places, Christmas is a 12-day celebration beginning on Dec. 25.
The company has already begun receiving orders from outside the U.S. for its holiday goods.
To accommodate the many shoppers who come from outside Tennessee to shop there, The Christmas Place is building a hotel across from its store.
"We have many repeat customers who enjoy the look and feel of our store, and we felt we could create a hospitality experience similar to the experience of the Christmas Place," said Ms. Biggs.
Moderator's Comment: Are U.S. retailers taking advantage of global selling opportunities through their web sites? What are some of the challenges and opportunities of trying to serve shoppers outside the U.S.? - George Anderson - Moderator