Leveraging advantages for omnichannel success
How a shift to leaner, joined-up operations and a renewed focus on customer experience positioned Esprit for profitability for the first time in almost a decade
A problem of balance
After eight consecutive years of declining revenue and a squeeze on profits due to high operating costs, Esprit needed a blueprint to guide them into the future. Our challenge was to revolutionise Esprit’s customer experience, whilst simultaneously streamlining their operations.
To deliver a low-cost model without negatively impacting sales, we needed to think beyond traditional cost-cutting to everything that goes on in Esprit’s shops – from the stock room to the sales floor.
We crafted a 3-year road map for change, designed to bring together disparate programs of work and provide a holistic view across all business functions.
A concentrated effort on delivering the ‘quick wins’ can swiftly run out of steam without a clear picture of where you are trying to get to
That means aligning what is in-flight or on-plan with fresh ideas for how to move the needle for the business either on the revenue or the cost side, for the long-term.
For Esprit, we crafted a 3-year roadmap for change that brings together disparate programmes of work and provides a holistic view across business functions and fiefdoms.
Projects delivering a transformation in omni-channel experience, product movement and information management are connected to show a logical evolution.
A future-fit model
We crafted a 3-year road map for change, designed to bring together disparate programs of work and provide a holistic view across all business functions.
This involved creating a standard store model across all European markets. Transform strategy consultants moderated store costs to bring them in line with net sales and simplified operations to make it easier for employees to work collaboratively. Then we set about improving product movement store operations by embedding a test and learn approach, through a series of trials across 50 stores in 9 markets.
Next, we used data mining of 2 million customer records to find behaviour patterns and assess whether a promotion-heavy approach was converting into customer loyalty. And we designed a future customer experience that prioritised, tangible solutions for high-value and high-potential customers.
Everyone knows that you should ‘focus on the customer’ but how can we revolutionise the customer experience and transform the way we operate to service this at the same time as keeping our cost base in check’?
Esprit Regional CEO - Europe & Americas
