Zazz.com.au

I saw this article in The Age today: http://www.theage.com.au/news/biztech/online-retailing-widens-its-net/2006/10/02/1159641260883.html

My first thought was: would you buy a used car from these guys? I then realised that at least one of them has sold a heck of a lot more than used cars, namely Melbourne House to Infogrames (subsequently Atari) for millions.

Zazz.com.au is not exactly innovative, but it's a local version of a US concept and is very unusual in Australia. In a nutshell, one product per day is offered - cheaply - and you can take it or leave it. Leaving aside the challenging economics, it's a nice concept and the newest online retail concept to emerge since Wishlist (who really pioneered sustainable if only marginally successful online shopping in Australia).

What I like most about Zazz is that it may finally herald more innovative e-tailing (remember that word) in Australia. We at Global Reviews have been involved in e-tailing since 2000, measuring customer experience, and on the list of biggest online disappointments in Australia online retailing must come close to top. The lack of innovation, combined with Australians' reluctance to shop for tangibles online, has stifled the industry. Compared to the US and UK (and excluding travel), we are nowhere.

So if Zazz is what it takes to get local retailers and entrepreneurs thinking outside the e-tailing box, bring it on. Perhaps one day we can roll out an Australian e-tailing innovation into the US. But it won't be Zazz.