multiCHANNEL 25


DUBARRY EXECUTES MULTICHANNEL STRATEGY


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ormed in 1937, Dubarry of ireland is known for its quality footwear, clothing and accessories for the yachting, country


and lifestyle sectors. michael Walsh, Dubarry marketing


director, recently discussed the launch of new international websites serving the uK,uS and  store in ireland one month later. Since the launch of the new website, Walsh


reported that online sales have increased  of reasons that prompted the company to  “Firstly we felt a need in the irish market to help re-position the brand in an environment where we are primarily known for footwear,”


Walsh said. “We also wanted to showcase our entire collection by seeing it properly and comprehensively presented in one place, something that third-party stockists have not been able to achieve. Finally, and most importantly, we also want to lay the foundations for a franchisee business model that we can take to other countries.” One key area of change to support this


growth has been the introduction of new business systems to support the entire operation. “We went into partnership with prima Solutions last year,” he explained, “and the primaNet application, alongside their specialist knowledge and skill sets, has really enabled us to develop our processes and systems to support our growth and


move into new channels. For example, the system provides instant access to the right management information in order to make accurate, timely and consistent decisions both within the business and with our partners.” as a result of recent developments,


Walsh declared that a multichannel business should have: “a consistency of imagery, atmosphere, communication, customer service and, of course, product quality and design – it is all about building the brand and its true values.” looking ahead, Walsh added that Dubarry


planned to, “simply to stick to the current formulae without taking any major risks”. “it is really working for us as a brand and as a business,” he concluded.


hammErSON OVErhaulS ONliNE uSEr ExpEriENcE r


etail property developer hammerson has launched a new, enhanced online experience across its nine uK shopping


centres, including london’s Brent cross and Birmingham’s Bullring, to strengthen its position at the forefront of multichannel retailing. led by hammerson’s digital partner 383, the


user experience revamp for desktop, mobile and touchscreen aims to drive up customer loyalty and retention within the centres themselves and blend the off and online experience. it follows new insight from hammerson showing, by 2020,  some capacity by the internet. previous to the overhaul,hammerson’s websites existed on disparate platforms, at


varying levels of sophistication, with overly detailed navigation systems, poor functional elements and un-engaging user experience   383’s user-focused strategy saw the creation of a range of customer personas, with iterative usability testing being employed  look and feel. Following the launch of the improved online experience, the amount of people visiting footfall-driving areas of the sites is up by 456%. improved mobile optimisation has reduced bounce rate by a third, with people spending an average of 75% more time interacting with the sites on their phones.the


new experience also includes integration of third-party services such as Foursquare and offers interaction-based rewards. Karl Boyce, retail marketing manager


at hammerson, said: “this has been a huge overhaul project, unifying nine previously disparate online experiences for some of the uK’s leading shopping centres. 383 has more than done it justice, bringing together stakeholders, customers, creatives, technologists and strategists to make sure we get it right, and giving the centres an increased sense of identity. it’s a big development, which will put hammerson in a really good place as retail keeps evolving, especially with the continued integration of online and physical retail.”


march/april 2013 RETAIL TECHNOLOGY


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