Shoe Zone and parcelLab: A Seamless Transition from Offline to Online Retail in the Age of Covid-19

The coronavirus has changed the way the British public shops -- perhaps forever. When Boris Johnson announced on March 23 that all non-essential stores would have to close with immediate effect, sales of bricks-and-mortar retailers plummeted. Many retailers who had traditionally relied heavily on their brick-and-mortar stores were forced to upgrade their online businesses.

One that experienced this was Shoe Zone, a retailer that offers shoes for all ages. The company immediately introduced a "buy one get the cheapest free" offer on their website to encourage customers to continue shopping with them online.

Turning Rummagers into Loyal Customers During the Crisis

Unlike many UK retailers, Shoe Zone had previously invested heavily in their e-commerce site, so they were already well placed to handle an increase in orders and the shift from offline to online. A partnership had been agreed with operations experience (OX) specialist, parcelLab. Shoe Zone was already proactively communicating with its customers during the shipping process via an integrated track and trace page in the company's branding.

WISMO Inquiries Now Account for 70% of Customer Service Calls

Reports indicate that the issue of WISMO (Where is my order?) is accounting for over 70 percent of inquiries for merchant customer service. Through the proactive communication Shoe Zone had implemented with the help of parcelLab, they actually saw a decrease in WISMO inquiries in March.

The Future Looks Bright

Both Shoe Zone and parcelLab are excited about what the future holds for the partnership. Undoubtedly, Shoe Zone's customers will receive an optimized customer experience, making them both happy and, at best, loyal brand ambassadors.

By communicating with their customers when they are most engaged and creating a pleasant customer experience during the delivery phase, Shoe Zone has been able to increase customer retention tremendously.