Back in 2004, Toronto entrepreneur Joanna Track created Sweetspot.ca to give Canadian women the inside scoop on what’s new and hot in their cities. Today, the site has over 100,000 subscribers and was recently purchased by Rogers. Now, with the recent launch of her new website Dealuxe.ca, Track has her sights set on bringing deluxe online shopping (including, yes, “deals”) to the Canadian masses.
We chatted with her about why Canadian women can finally get excited about online shopping.
Why did you decide to launch Dealuxe.ca?
Being a big fan of online shopping, it’s frustrating as a Canadian shopper to buy from U.S. sites. Some ship to Canada, some don’t. And when you fall in love with something, only to find out they don’t ship to Canada, you’re frustrated. Some U.S. companies don’t think it’s worthwhile to ship here. So I thought the site was a real opportunity to create more access for Canadian shoppers.
Are more people shopping online now?
Canadians have the highest online penetration in the world, but our online shopping usage is lower, mainly due to accessibility, or lack thereof. However, online shopping is on the rise in Canada and it’s already a billion-dollar industry, so we just need to catch up a little.
What are the trends you’ve seen with shoppers since the site was launched on Monday?
People begin their online shopping experience with buying accessories. Already, we’ve seen lots of transactions for scarves, necklaces, hats. Some people are still cautious when it comes to online shopping so we want to be an educator and show them it’s easy and not risky and try to erase their misconceptions.
Tell us a little bit about Dealuxe. Which designers do you carry? Who’s your customer?
Right now, we carry 40 brands, a mix of U.S. and Canadian designers. These include Dolce Vita, G Beauty, Splendid. Our customers are women, 25-50+. What’s most exciting is that we’re not targeting geographically. Every woman within every nook and cranny who wants style can now shop from their home and native lands.
Why should online shoppers choose Dealuxe?
We have a great variety of products and we’ve merchandised all of our items, so you can see it alone and on a model, which helps give it a look. We also have a magazine [online] that offers ways to see the product and read about it so the customer can make it their own. Our mandate is to make an easy shopping experience with great customer service. And then there is the Luxe Deal every Thursday where we have a luxe item on sale that you can’t get anywhere else in Canada.
