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A Stylish Transformation: Automated RMA and Multi-Brand, Multi-Warehouse Solution

Fully automated returns process for a multi- warehouse Magento 2 ecommerce website with an immersive Shop the Look experience.

5 minute read

Who Should Read This?

This case study will be especially relevant for those interested in the following topics:

  • Fast Fashion
  • Magento Commerce
  • Wait List
  • Multi-Warehouse
  • Platform Migration
  • Data Migration
  • Automated Returns
  • Shop The Look
  • Membership Website

GUIDANCE DRIVES ROI

+20%

YOY Revenue

+22%

YOY Transactions

THE CHALLENGE

Key to Vince Camuto’s and Sole Society’s business is quick inventory turnaround. Both brands were searching for a replatform to Magento 2 that would result in zero downtime with a fully automated returns solution. With an immersive and stylish frontend including fully shoppable “Shop the Look” functionality, the two brands required a new checkout experience specifically designed to increase AOV and a loyalty program that is second to none.

THE BRAND

Founded in 2001 by Vince Camuto as Camuto Group, the business has grown into a multi-billion dollar empire with shoes, handbags and dresses sold online and in top department stores. Sole Society was founded in 2011 as a digitally native brand created to empower its customers every day with styles that are on-trend and inexpensive while catering to a variety of age groups. In 2016, the Camuto Group purchased a majority stake in Sole Society. Now both brands offer affordable apparel inspired by the latest trends with a fresh take on must-have styles and timeless silhouettes.

Magento’s Multi- Warehouse Solution

Vince Camuto was in search of a powerful ecommerce platform that would scale with its growing business. Migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2 was the best decision to build out a fully automated purchase to delivery (multi-warehouse) and return process for Sole Society. Looking to combine the codebase and searching for a similarly robust ecommerce platform, Vince Camuto looked to Guidance to replatform from Salesforce Commerce Cloud to Magento 2. Magento provides the tools to manage product inventory across multiple locations and warehouses. Both brands can track inventory quantities, provide accurate sellable stock amounts to customers and ship according to recommendations based on distance or priority. Both can also configure preferred product configurations globally (for all stores and products), per source and per product. And these features grow with the business. As the brand expands its warehouse network, Magento allows easy expansion of the complex shipping network with a few additional settings.

vince camuto up-to-date availability

Accurate sellable stock amounts ensure shoppers see the most up-to-date color & size availability.

Automated Returns

Given the complexities around shoe and apparel sizing, automating the return process was crucial for Vince Camuto’s bottom line. Back and forth emails and calls are costly--both in terms of personnel time and energy but also in terms of the customer frustration costs. Automating the returns process has saved Vince Camuto tremendous amounts of valuable customer service time and it has served to impress the customer with easy returns. The return process can now be fully completed by the customer without any manual intervention. It has invited many one-time shoppers to fearlessly shop again as the returns process is so seamless. Furthermore, the automated returns process allows shoppers to exchange products for variants or upsell them with a different product at a higher price point, all with a few easy clicks. Customers are delighted by the ease of refunds to the original payment method and the multiple return methods available during the return process.

Customizing the Magento Checkout

Magento’s OOTB checkout solution is a proven powerhouse but Guidance was able to take the tried-and-true checkout and supercharge it with custom features and functionality unique to the business requirements. One such customization was an upsell feature added directly to the checkout page with low-priced items to round out the shopping cart. As the customer is very close to pressing “buy,” the checkout would present inexpensive and low commitment “add-on” items that matched the products already in the customer’s cart. Specific logic and rules were used to ensure that the items that were presented at checkout were recommendations based on prior browsing behavior, recent purchases or previous purchase intent. Ultimately, it was a huge win for the brand as this upsell feature served to increase AOV and often included items marked on clearance or inventory closeout.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

"WOW! The speed is amazing. What a difference.
It’s a pleasure to use the site now. It flies.
AWESOME job Guidance!"

- Camuto Group

Interactive Shop the Look Functionality

Shop the Look is probably one of the most sought-after features of an ecommerce store--especially in the fashion and apparel space. Social media influencer marketing has catapulted that desire to bundle products into shoppable collections or style lookbooks. Vince Camuto was searching for a way to bundle its rotating shoe selection with handbags and other accessories. Guidance helped create an immersive and style magazine-like experience online by incorporating the Shop the Look functionality into the ecommerce website. Moreover, the functionality crosses multiple channels and allows the brand to promote its products across social media and email marketing. Customers can easily style the products according to certain looks and trends promoted by the brand while feeling part of a broader lifestyle community.

SoleSociety

Loyalty Has Its Rewards

Loyalty programs that reward shoppers for consistent and recurring purchases are not only good for business, it’s also good for the brand. Vince Camuto created a strong network of brand evangelists by using loyalty marketing throughout the customer experience strategy. Based on points, the reward solution the brands used through Clutch would provide rebates to loyal customers, discounts during the customer’s birthday month and other incentives to keep the customer close to the brand. As a result, there has been a tremendous uptick in customer retention and product reviews as a result of the loyalty program.

A Worthwhile Wait List

The business model of near-daily new shoe releases meant “Wait List” hype is a big part of the marketing strategy. Each product has a wait list module that allows customers to sign up for email notifications of stock in specific size and colorway. Magento’s Out of the Box wait list allows customers to sign up for email notifications but Guidance had to build the size and colorway functionality as that level of granularity does not exist. The wait list feature pulls in inventory notifications across all warehouses nationwide and customers are notified of new stock availability by email.

Vince Camuto Wait List

Results

The replatform to Magento 2 is now a scalable solution with automated RMA processing for a multi-warehouse ecommerce business. Guidance provided a smooth upgrade with zero downtime while migrating millions of data points.

 

The Shop the Look functionality provides an immersive customer experience across multiple channels and offers the ability to cross and upsell along the purchase path. The new loyalty program and wait list functionality is integral to a customer-first subscription based model.

RECOGNITION
logo-w3

Silver Award: Website for Fashion

logo-webby

Best Visual Design Aesthetic

Summary

The newly replatformed Magento 2 ecommerce website has provided the ability to fully automate returns for customers requiring no human intervention in the RMA process. As a multi-warehouse business, the brands have broadened inventory and product assortment capabilities while decreasing shipping time and costs. The new ecommerce solution meant migrating millions of data points and customer information with zero downtime.

 

Customers looking for immersive and personal styling stories can now experience the Shop the Look functionality with magazine-like imagery and fully shoppable products. The newly integrated loyalty program has given customers a next-level sense of community with the brand and has helped evangelize the marketing efforts across channels.

SERVICES

  • Magento Platform Upgrade
  • Web Development
  • Custom Built Functionality
  • RMA Automation
  • Multi-Warehouse Fulfillment
  • Workflow Development
  • Data Migration
  • Complex Integrations

TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

  • Cybersource Payments
  • Afterpay Pay Later
  • BounceX Exit Intent
  • Clutch Loyalty
  • DSCO Dropship
  • Feedonomics Product Syndication
  • Sailthru Email Marketing
  • Shoprunner Memberships
  • TurnTo Reviews
  • Zendesk Customer Service

Find out how Guidance can create solutions for your business's complex needs!

CONTACT GUIDANCE
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