I had seen Think Natural advertised on a few websites (particularly the banners on Ciao!) and had received a copy of their current catalogue. I had looked through the catalogue and was impressed by the products featured and the prices. Not being one to post or phone orders, I had decided to order online. It was then that I spotted the link on the front page of Ciao offering a £5 voucher. Bonus I thought! So I clicked on the link and was directed via the associates page (which explained that the £5 discount was only available on orders over £40) onto a Think Natural page which gave details of my voucher. Clicking on a link credited the voucher to my shopping basket and a further click directed me to the homepage.
The home page is clearly laid out with links listed down the left hand side and special promotions highlighted in the centre. The links include registration, log-in for existing customers, catalogue and newsletter requests, shopping sections, healthfiles and information about the company. I didn’t register straight away, as I was not aware of the benefits of registration – more of that later.
If you have a copy of the catalogue, you can use the catalogue fast buy section to type in the catalogue number and go straight to the product you require. Otherwise you can browse through sections or use the advanced search to look for specific products or remedies. The advanced search key is permanently located on the left-hand side of the page and comes in the form of a pop up screen. To locate the product you need, you can search using keyword, manufacturer, ingredient, form, therapy or condition, or you can combine the search terms to refine the search.
There are special offers available at different times and if you register with the site, further special offers are made available. When I ordered, bath bombs were on special offer and Echinacea tablets were on buy one get one free, so it is worth registering and looking in the special offers section.
HEALTHFILES
Vitamins & Minerals Herbs & Medicinal Plants Homeopathy Bach Flower Remedies Chinese Herbals Ayurveda Aromatherapy Natural Bodycare Pet Health
All of the health files contain articles on a variety of topics and are listed alphabetically by the active ingredient so are easy to find. There is a quick link to each letter for faster searching.
Examples of articles include – Agnus Castus – Loss of libido (Bach Flower Remedies article) Ylang Ylang – Boost your sex drive in six steps! (Aromatherapy article) Clary Sage – 8 ways to make time for love (Herbs and medicinal plants article)
Anyone notice a theme here?!
A lot of the articles appear to be duplicated, presumably because they mention more than one active ingredient, so they are listed under several categories.
If you want to search for articles on a specific subject (sex, for example – for which I found 7 articles) you need to use the advanced search facility which is permanently located on the left-hand side of the page. The search terms are similar to those for products.
GENERAL IMPRESSION OF THE SITE
I found the site easy to use. The contents down the left-hand side of the page make it easy to browse for different products and the advanced search is very useful if you are looking for something in particular. It is not an overly flash site, but is well laid out and clear to follow. Pages load quickly. Once you have located the product you want, click on the trolley symbol to add to your basket. The basket can be changed at any time during your shopping trip.
Once you have finished shopping, you go to the checkout where name and address details are taken. This is all done over a secure server. Payment by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Delta/Connect and Switch is accepted.
DELIVERY
I was extremely impressed with this! When you order, the box comes up stating first class post. Fine I thought. I’ll get the parcel some time this week. I ordered at 9.30am on a Monday. At 8.30 am on the Tuesday, the postman was knocking on my door with the parcel! How’s that for good turnaround!
PACKAGING
I was a bit disappointed here. For a company that is devoted to natural health they waste and awful lot of packaging. My order came in a large (probably about 1 cubic foot) box. To prevent my products rattling around, they were cushioned with polystyrene beads. The package could have been an awful lot smaller and if the products had been packed neatly there would not have been the need for so much padding in the box. A bit of a waste I thought.
Items can be gift wrapped if required, at a cost of £2.99.
POSTAGE
Postage is £2.50, or free if your order is over £35.
RETURNS
Any product can be returned within 10 days, providing it is in its original condition, and a full refund will be given. However, from what I can tell, you will have to cover the postage cost unless the company has made an error.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
ThinkNatural was formed in the summer of 1999 by Carol Dukes and Emma Crowe. They are backed by venture capitalists. In 3 ½ months from August to November 1999 they created and launched the website which is devoted to natural health and bodycare.
Head Office address – ThinkNatural Ltd Chiltern House 184 High Street Berkhampstead Hertfordshire HP4 3AP
01442 299200
MY VERDICT
I have been very impressed with both the site and the quality of the products I have received. The delivery was excellent. And, of course, if you go through the link on Ciao there is the bonus of £5 and, presumably, Ciao receives something from the click through? (I hope so!)
You can also order by post or phone if you wish to, but the site is so easy to use why would you bother!
If you like natural products, have a look at the site. I recommend it!
More details
Layout & Design
Good
Navigation
Excellent
Quality of the Content
Excellent
Range of Services / Products
Very complete
Security & Privacy Statement
Good
Purchase Tracking Function
None
Speed of Delivery
Excellent
Ability to Customise
None
Customer Services Support
Good
Client Number / Order Number
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