Although eCommerce has been around since the ‘80s, the industry arguably did not take off until the 2000s. But in that time, there have been dramatic shifts in the industry.
On the latest episode of The eCommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives podcast, host Kailin Noivo is joined by P.J. Worsfold, Director of eCommerce and Marketing at JD Sports Canada, Livestock Canada, and size? Canada, to discuss the evolving digital transformations he has witnessed first-hand.
Digital Transformations over the Past Decades
P.J. has witnessed some exceptional digital transformations in his twenty years in the eCommerce space. One of the most profound has been the willingness of people to buy online.
Only recently, P.J. went to his 80-year-old father-in-law’s house and was surprised by how well-versed with tech he was and the devices he owned: an iPad, iPhone, and MacBook – all purchased online. Only a decade ago, the older generation was harder to convince to shop online, as P.J. discovered working with a pharmacy in Canada, but today, it is almost second nature, partially spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of online stores.
Personalization Strategies for eCommerce Brands
P.J. is passionate about personalization. In his current work with JD Sports, Livestock, and size?, he has had great success with personalizing email marketing using automation tools for retargeting. However, he is setting off on a new venture: personalizing advertising based on a person’s region.
For example, the weather in British Columbia and Ontario are vastly different, and one can often assume that if it is raining in BC, then there will be snow in Ontario. Thus, based on the weather in BC, the sites would offer different products to their customers based in the two locations, ensuring they are appropriate for the climate. However, no automation tools that are currently available can adequately help with this challenge, so P.J.’s team has had to triple their personalization efforts.
In today’s tech landscape, every consumer has a different device and uses various platforms, so personalization measures must cut across these variables. As with anything in eCommerce that has a lot of variables, this opens up the floor to bugs in personalization measures across these platforms. However, P.J.’s team has a “killer” quality assurance function to help manage this and ensure their consumers are consistently being delivered personalized, functioning experiences.
What about AI?
As P.J. is already implementing automation and AI in his personalization measures, it is no surprise that he has high hopes for the future uses of AI in the eCommerce industry. He envisions AI having a profound impact on searches.
At the moment, we are conditioned to be inundated with results when we use search engines, but P.J. believes AI will condition us to expect the best advice instead. For eCommerce brands, this could lead to a significant increase in conversion as customers will not have to deliberate over as many small choices.
eCommerce Challenges Brands Face Today
If all else fails, he at least knows what Google delivered on a last-click basis. However, even with this preference, he still knows there is a smarter way out there, but he has not yet found the attribution model that works for his brands.
Listen to the Full Episode Below!
Tune in to this episode of The eCommerce Toolbox: Expert Perspectives with P.J. Worsfold to find out more about the evolution and future of eCommerce.
👉 Apple: https://bit.ly/3GRnIJF
👉 Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ruvs9p
P.J. Worsfold is the driving force behind some of Canada’s most successful online shoe retailers, including JD Sports Canada, Livestock Canada, and size? Canada. He is an expert in combining technology with business strategy to drive sales, making an innovative approach to eCommerce. He also acts as an eCommerce Consultant to the fashion industry, seeing eCommerce as more than selling; it’s about giving access to a brand.
