In today’s extremely competitive world, distinguishing yourself as a retailer (or e-tailer) is the way to expand and be successful as a business. One way to do this, is to add boutique or exclusive brands to one’s portfolio. “But that is easier said than done,” says Adam Stanier, Onetrail’s director for the UK and Ireland.
Adam has been in charge of Onetrail’s operations in the area for over eleven years and knows the retail market like the back of his hand. “One of the trends we have spotted here is that retailers are actually trying to expand their offering by adding smaller suppliers, who are more boutique and exclusive. This is an excellent way to stand out and be different from the pack. The beer market is a perfect example. Years ago, this market was dominated by just a few worldwide brands. Today, there are hundreds of small craft beer breweries that attract much attention and customers. It can be very interesting for a food retailer to offer products from these brands to customers, online or offline.”
“Getting small parties onboard with their products can be very fruitful for a retailer and for the brand”
Ensure the right customer experience
In both online and offline business activities, the right exchange of data on products and pricing is crucial to enable a sustainable business. “And if we look at the online channel, there is much more to consider,” says Adam. “Think of all the variables apart from product and pricing, modes of delivery, expected time of arrival and more. All these aspects affect the customer experience, and the last thing you want is a bad online review from a disgruntled customer.”
Boost business by adding brands
For a long time, it was very difficult for smaller companies to get their product and order data up to date in an efficient way. This easily leads to wrong shipments or wrong prices. All the large companies have solved this problem by investing heavily in IT. Adam: “They have the knowledge and resources to develop and maintain systems that ensure that all data on products and orders is correct. But until a few years ago, this was not possible for smaller companies.”
“They lack both the manpower and the financial resources to connect to the big players. And when they try, creating an efficient connection can be difficult, easily leading to customer support issues from incomplete or incorrect product information, stock, pricing or promise dates. Still, getting these small parties onboard with their products can be very fruitful for a retailer and for the brand.”
“We help all parties set up the connection and ensure that everything is working well”
An online solution for data exchange
Adam points at businesses that have solved the issue of connecting small brands through Onetrail’s online Product Manager. This solution enables suppliers to upload and update their product information all from an online application, which will include all mandatory fields requested by the retailer. Adam: “This is a huge advantage, not only for the specific brand that is able to expand its market in an efficient way, but also for the retailer who can add new products to its portfolio with a clear demand among customers. We help all parties set up the connection and ensure that everything is working well.”
One fine example of how this works in real life is Dutch e-tailer Coolblue that wanted to add Solis coffee machines to its online platform. Initially, this proved to be a cumbersome project with various issues. “We were asked to come up with a solution, “says Adam. “Both parties were connected to our network where we normalized the process for Coolblue and Solis. This enables both businesses to improve all their processes, work with the right data and reach more customers. All leading to much better customer satisfaction ratings. And in the end that is what it is all about. It is extremely expensive to obtain and retain customers. The better service you offer, the better the customer experience and the better the reviews. All this starts with the right data.”
Adam Stanier
Director UK & Ireland
Do you want to know more about your opportunity to add boutique or exclusive brands to your portfolio, please contact us at +31 (0)30 697 32 83 or sales@onetrail.com
