DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse), a leading branded footwear and accessories retailer, is committed to its omnichannel strategy and meeting customer expectations. Seeking to amplify its customer engagement levels, DSW implemented eBay Enterprise In-Store Pickup and Ship-to Store in 467 stores.
Brian Seewald, Vice President of Transformation, Office of Innovation at DSW, told Loyalty360 that implementing In-Store Pickup and Ship-to-Store is a continuation of the company’s original omnichfannel vision of “any shoe, anywhere, any time” and is another way to offer convenience to customers.
“Customer expectations were definitely a factor,” Seewald explained. “Customer expectations of convenience and ease of shopping have continued to evolve, and we will continue to evolve with them. Customers expect a quick and easy shopping experience, and this is one way that we can offer that.”
What’s more, Seewald said that offering these two programs is critical to more effective customer engagement.
“For us, it is about having the item you want available to you when and where you want it,” he explained. “All of our omnichannel fulfillment work over the last couple of years has been about that, about ensuring that we can find your shoe in your size, and that we can get it to you in a variety of ways.”
DSW began its omnichannel journey in 2011 with the creation of Shoephoria, its proprietary stock locator tool that uses inventory at its fulfillment center to meet stores orders. Two years later, DSW added Ship-from Store and Dropship capabilities. The deployment of In-Store Pickup and Ship-to Store represents the successful completion of the company’s early milestones: Making every fulfillment option seamlessly available to its customers.
“We have always leveraged our rewards program and our brand pillars of assortment, value, and convenience to drive loyalty,” Seewald added. “That has not changed, but the way in which we execute will continue to evolve. On the convenience front, our customer is busy and we must offer them speed and convenience during their shopping experience. In-store pickup and ship-to-store are examples of us capitalizing on new ways to offer convenience.”
Tobias Hartmann, president of eBay Enterprise, told Loyalty360 that through store fulfillment, retailers are able to offer their customers more choices in terms of product assortment and delivery options.
“This allows the retailer to seamlessly connect its entire supply chain to real demand in order to satisfy customers and drive sales,” Hartmann said. “To keep pace with and exceed customer expectations, it’s critical that retailers think about omnichannel as an evolutionary journey, and one that will continue to constantly evolve.”