Play: ‘Changes are just the beginning’

Online retailer Play.com has revealed that its redesign, which went live late last week, is just the first of many changes it has planned for its site over the course of the year.

Speaking to Retail Week, chief operating officer Stuart Rowe revealed that the planned changes, which include design, navigation and increased expose for key lines, were the result of six months of research.

"Over the next 12 months, we will see three or four key changes to the site for where we want to be in 2010," he told Joanna Perry.

Rowe said that many of the changes were in response to the vastly increased number of product lines that the retailer was now carrying. "We are definitely looking for extra sales. We have got six million items on the website, so it is very important that customers can get to them quickly. That is why we have increased the importance of search."

Many of the changes, as previously stated, revolve around user experience and include moving the search bar from its previous position on the left to a more central position. Other changes include moving the basket to the top right, and more prominence for the retailer’s PlayTrade and PlayDigital sub-brands, which now appear on every page.