Boots has paid the price for the successful launch of its new No7 Future Renew collection after being forced to introduce an online queuing system to meet huge demand for the range.
The No7 Future Renew collection comprises four products: a serum, an eye serum, day cream and night cream with the tagline ‘Don’t’ regret, reverse’.
It has been supported by a new marketing campaign devised by WPP’s The Pharm, Oliver and internal creative agency B-Hive.
The collection is said to be a game changer in the beauty world by reversing the appearance of signs of skin damage, including fine lines, wrinkles, lack of luminosity, dryness, uneven skin tone and loss of firmness – with visible results within four weeks.
However, during the online rush for the new range, massive queues were forming online.
As customers logged on this morning, a loading bar appeared, with a message that read: “Our website is full to the brim with shoppers now and you have been temporarily placed in a virtual queue! Don’t worry, you will be back on and shopping soon.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly ths has sparked a major Twitter backlash, with one customer blasting: “Can finally get into website but can’t pay. Checkout button just takes me back to my basket….”
Another shopper tweeted: “Website was diabolical this morning for a large company like Boots you should have a better site. Was in a virtual queue for nearly an hour to pay for products in my basket and was then thrown out. Now the product is sold out.”
A third wrote: “@BootsUK twice I have sat in a long online queue. Filled a basket which has then disappeared. Not impressed!”
A Boots spokesperson said: “We have temporarily added a queue system to control traffic to our website whilst some crucial maintenance is undertaken. We appreciate your patience during this time.”
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