Add BrandRooming To Showrooming

Pity the poor brick and mortar retailer. They've been battling showrooming and now Kraft launches their own ecommerce website.

Once major brands launch their own e-commerce platforms the end of the beginning is upon us. What about channel conflict? How will the Walmarts and Targets of the world feel about competing with Krafts ShopCrystalLight.com? 

How will big box retailers take to "brandrooming"?

If I were Walmart.com I would take Crystal Light off my website and, depending on the profits, off store shelves. I think the reason Kraft isn't worried about this is they must have run this idea by their key accounts first.

The backroom agreement is probably to keep the price of Crystal higher on their platform than through its distribution partners. That is a deal I would have done if I was Kraft too since Crystal Light calls out for contests, gamification and User Generated Content (UGC(.

With the right contests and gamification layer Kraft's ecom customers won't care about price as long as the price is in striking distances of the discounters.