Typically when we discuss the world of eCommerce, we only look at individual brands, but there are also companies that operate with a different structure. Some are groups with ownership of numerous individual brands, each with their own individual customers and set of processes.
How then do eCommerce approaches differ when we think of companies operating as part of a larger conglomerate?
On the latest episode of The eCommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives podcast, our host and co-founder Kailin Noivo sits down with Alizée Dard Belmont, to discuss crafting seamless customer experiences at the global scale. Alizée is the Senior Manager of eCommerce and Innovation at Richemont, a luxury goods retail group.
Diverse Backgrounds: Key to eCommerce Success?
Often, eCommerce organizations, and companies more widely, consider digital channels in isolation, keeping them separate from other forms and channels of customer interaction.
As with anything that is repeatedly done in the same way, it can be hard to break these traditions.
Alizée has had a very diverse career background, coming up through marketing, working at the brand level, and now at the group level and it has all influenced her to start to think about the overall customer experience when debating the digital side.
To her, it is essential to build connections between all forms of customer interaction, digital, in-person, and even call centers, to ensure customers are always being provided with what they want and need.
Transition From Brand to Group Level
Richemont is a luxury goods group that owns a variety of brands.
This is Alizée’s first experience working at the group level, having only previously worked with individual brands, and the change has been far from small.
On the brand side, the focus is far more personal; you need to understand exactly what your customer wants.
On the group side, however, it is far more high level. Of course, you still need at least some understanding of the market, but there is simply not enough time and resources to get into it in detail. Instead, your focus becomes centered around ensuring that while each customer has a tailored experience, you can also scale across the different brands, each with its own unique business model and clientele.
For Alizée, transitioning from the brand to the group has been nothing but beneficial. She came into the role with a concrete understanding of the market, which feeds into her approach to scaling each individual brand.
Data, Data, and More Data…..
Alizée shares that, when operating at the group level, it is imperative to take in information at the data level.
Why?
Simply put, it’s impossible to go into each and every website to check that they are working properly, which is especially true when you consider how many layers make up any single website.
Utilizing data can show you what is and isn’t working through metrics such as traffic measurements, allowing you to prioritize what needs fixing first.
Unfortunately, websites will almost always have problems, so you need to be in a constant cycle of prioritizing and resolving the most important issues.
According to Alizée, the critical aspect is the front end. If you walk up to a boutique and the door is locked, you’ll find somewhere else to shop. The same rings true for a website, if you can’t checkout, you’ll go somewhere else. This means losses in revenue for your business.
Back-end issues don’t necessarily directly affect revenue or customer experience, so they can be placed further down the list.
AI For Seamless Customer Experiences
Every single company utilizes AI today, and Richemont is no different.
For the websites, they use AI to learn from previous consumer behavior, and automate processes to improve the experience for customers today.
They further leverage automation in the supply chain, helping to build seamless customer experiences.
Being a luxury goods company, not a tech company, Richemont relies on third parties and their tools, including Noibu for eCommerce monitoring, to guarantee the delivery of the best customer experience while leveraging AI and automation.
Listen to the Full Episode Below!
Tune in to this episode of The eCommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives with Alizée Dard Belmont to find out more about crafting seamless customer experiences at the global scale.
👉 Apple: https://apple.co/3tRXqnf
👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QhQGqt
Alizée Dard Belmont is the Senior Manager of eCommerce and Innovation at Richemont, a leading luxury goods group. Prior to her current role, she held two other positions at Richemont: Performance Analyst of Digital, Data, and Omnichannel and Chief of Staff Assistant to the CDO. Previously, she has worked with Van Cleef & Arpels, Le Couvent Des Minimes, and MB&F, all of which have contributed to her expertise in the luxury goods industry.
