Large Fabric and Crafts Retail Chain
Crafting an Enhanced Digital Experience
What if...shopping for fabric and craft supplies could be simple both online and in stores?
Our client is a large fabric and crafts retail chain.
An Ecommerce Experience Tailored for All
Traditionally rooted in brick-and-mortar stores for more than 75 years, our client was on a mission to improve the customer experience online. It was time to capitalize on our client's digitally savvy customer base and connect the offline and online experiences for seamless interactions. We worked with the client to improve its inventory visibility and enhance its omnichannel order fulfillment, to better position the company for legacy growth and adjust to evolving business models and customer demands.
Inventory Visibility That Measures Up
We began our work with our client by redeploying its IBM Order Management platform. The system was originally implemented by another solution provider, but there was little to no training provided to Team Members once it was up and running.
We started from the beginning and moved the client’s hosted IBM Sterling OMS platform to a cloud-based environment to create a 360-degree inventory view. As a result, Team Members have an up-to-date view of all inventory, and our client can better track product quantity, location, and availability. The IBM Call Center for Commerce was also added to the client’s order management stack to allow call center agents access to order status and shipment information.
Order Fulfillment That Goes the Whole Nine Yards
With ever-fluctuating inventory, accurate omnichannel ordering had historically been challenging for our client. With an improved inventory view, customers place orders online and get it shipped to their home or pick up at the nearby store. The elevated view of inventory was also instrumental in enabling the client’s Ship-from-Store program, a capability that is now available at over 200 store locations. The variety of shipping options allows our client to not only improve the customer buying journey, but to use its stores as fulfillment centers, which is more efficient and better serves customer needs.
This streamlined omnichannel buying experience has also enabled the client to expand product offerings beyond its traditionally stocked merchandise. This new facet to the client’s order fulfillment strategy has improved the customer experience, expanded the product assortment, and reduced the amount of physical inventory our client has to keep in stock.
Designing a Cutting-Edge In-Store Experience
Fabric quantity is measured in yardage rather than units, so it is especially difficult to track. Although fabric has always comprised a large part of the client’s inventory, it was challenging to guarantee alternative fulfillment options if a customer’s choice of fabric was low in quantity or out of stock at their local store.
Now, Team Members can draw on multiple inventory channels to provide customers near real-time data on where specific products are located and help them find all the materials they need.
By implementing IBM OMS, we helped our client reduce the cost of its order and fulfillment processes and integrate new shipping methods, such as ship-from-store. The buy-online, pick-up-in-store initiative also increased customer foot traffic and resulted in higher sales through add-on purchases.
Elevating the Customer Experience in the Midst of COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation, retailers everywhere struggled to support customer demand and maintain sales while keeping in-store foot traffic to a minimum. And when medical professionals and healthcare workers experienced shortages in surgical masks and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE), DIY enthusiasts and crafters began sewing protection supplies to fill the growing shortage. Our client recognized a unique opportunity to help and created various patterns and video tutorials for customers to follow.
Then, using its advanced order management system, the client was able to harness its improved inventory visibility to maintain up-to-date product availability to ensure customers get supplies as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, contactless curbside pickup and the ability to ship-from-store facilitates quick and efficient fulfillment while also allowing Team Members to stay safe, maintain social distancing, and keep business processes moving.
In record time, the company was able to pivot without disrupting the seamless buying experience customers have come to expect, and as a result, our client recognized a tremendous increase in online sales and saw daily order volumes soar. Curbside pickup was expanded to its 865+ stores nationwide, offsetting the effects of in-store shopping shutting down. With Perficient as a technology partner, our client was well positioned to handle the surge of online traffic and orders, reaching 3x holiday volume levels.
Results
All Stitched Up
By implementing IBM OMS, we were able to help our client reduce the cost of its order and fulfillment processes and integrate new shipping methods like ship-from-store. The buy-online, pick-up-in-store initiative also led to an increase in customer foot traffic and resulted in higher sales through add-on purchases.
Customers now enjoy an improved experience with a variety of ways to buy and receive their purchases. And, with call center and store Team Members empowered with up-to-the-minute inventory, customers always know when and where they can get the materials they need. And in unprecedented times of retail disruption, our client can feel confident knowing the business has the tools to keep fulfillment operations moving, ensure the safety of its team members and customers, and continue providing an exceptional buying experience.
