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Marketer Interview: Oscar Castro, Director International E-Commerce, Sears

Sears recently launched its Spanish-language website (Sears.com/espanol). We caught up with Oscar Castro the main executive behind the launch to learn about his experience and ask him about the challenges he is still facing.

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Sears recently launched its Spanish-language website (Sears.com/espanol). We caught up with Oscar Castro the main executive behind the launch to learn about his experience and ask him about the challenges he is still facing.  

Portada: What have you learned from launching Sears (Sears.com/español)?
Oscar Castro: “We have learned that there is unfilled demand out there. The Hispanic population is growing quickly, their internet adoption rate is increasing, especially Spanish-preferring people, but there are not very many Spanish language shopping options out there. Since Sears is a trustworthy and reputable brand, we have seen a warm reception by our Spanish-preferring customers. We look forward to offering our customers even more Spanish language options in the future.”

Does Sears.com/español also reach Latin American Audiences (what traffic does it have and how is it broken down)?
“People who are planning a shopping trip to the U.S can use Sears.com/español to buy online and pickup in a U.S store or ship to a U.S address. However, we also have another site (www.sears.com/internacional), which customers can use to buy online and ship to Latin America. We ship to more than 90 countries worldwide, including 25 in Latin America & the Caribbean through our international site.”

Can you explain how you have done digital marketing to attract Hispanics to the site (e.g. display, SEO, Social Media, what agency you used, which media portals etc…)?
“Digital marketing is one of the components of our marketing strategy. We have implemented marketing programs in several digital channels, and continue to expand. We work with a wide range of partners, including many of the market leaders in different channels. As a leading online retailer, we have significant expertise in digital marketing; we are applying that expertise, and customizing it for our Hispanic consumers.”

Are there Sears FSI’s (Free Standing Inserts in Newspapers) that reference to offers available on the site?
“Yes, we use digital as well as traditional marketing to promote our sites. We also create a consistent multichannel experience with Spanish language in-store signage as well as customer service support.”

What is your experience with FSI’s do you prefer to have them written in Spanish or English ones and why?
“The target audience for Sears.com/español is Spanish-preferring US customers. As a result, we use Spanish language advertising to let our customers know that they have an online option available to them. We also work with relevant publications, in relevant markets, to ensure that the message is reaching the right people.”

 What mobile strategy are you using for the site?
“We are aware of the Hispanic market’s high mobile adoption rate and recognize this as an opportunity. We are keeping this top of mind.”

What challenges have you encountered in terms of usability with the Hispanic user, which does not apply to the general market?
“We have found that good usability applies universally. There are fundamentals, which, if applied correctly, will provide users a great experience. Hispanic customers frequently use the same websites as the general market, so they are accustomed to the same features, standards, etc. We also engage with our customers on a daily basis and use their feedback to influence our continuing efforts to optimize user experience to better serve our Hispanic customers. “

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