Strand's Digital eCommerce Transformation with MindArc

Strand, previously known as Strandbags, is a top retailer of fashionable travel luggage, bags, and accessories. To enhance its online shopping experience, the company initiated a digital transformation. Confronted with checkout issues, scattered inventory data, and a rising demand for a smooth shopping process, Strand teamed up with MindArc to revamp its eCommerce strategy. By adopting Shopify’s Checkout Extensibility and simplifying the customer journey, Strand achieved a 70% increase in customers reaching the checkout, a 35% boost in conversions, and a 24% rise in items added to carts. Learn how Strand set a new benchmark for online retail.

Client

Strand

Date

August 30, 2021

The Challenge

Strand, a renowned retailer of bags and travel accessories in Australia and New Zealand faced challenges in adapting to the evolving landscape of eCommerce, especially in the wake of the pandemic. The company sought to resolve issues related to:rt their growing sales. While they used site traffic queuing systems to prevent site crashes during major campaigns, this impacted the overall customer experience.

Lengthy Checkout Process
The checkout process was one of the major pain points for customers. The frustration in navigation led to abandoned carts and lost sales. The current checkout system’s inability to handle the growing volume of orders resulted in long waiting times.

Overall Customer Experience
As a sought-after brand that prioritises its consumers more than anything else, Strand wanted to provide a better overall customer experience. From browsing through their products to checking out and collecting items, Strand continuously searched for a sound eCommerce solution.

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Actions Taken

MindArc's Enterprise team delved into understanding Strand's operations in physical stores and on the previous website.

Migrated Strand's custom checkout functionality to Shopify's checkout extensibility. This enabled us to seamlessly integrate the one-page checkout functionality without any additional coding or development.

Integrated Strand's store network of over 230 locations and their inventory points across tens of thousands of SKUs to ensure accurate stock availability information and facilitated a seamless Click & Collect experience.

Enabled Shopify's native checkout features, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay. This streamlined the payment process and provided customers with more convenient payment options.

Implemented additional technical solutions, including Shopify native collections, native filtering, and Tagalys search. These enhancements improved the overall user experience and made it easier for customers to find products.

The Result

Customers that reached checkout increased 70% compared to the previous year.
We saw a 22% increase in conversion rate compared to the same period previous year.
We saw a 35% increase in sessions converted compared to previous year.
There was a 24% increase in items added to cart.

Strand’s transition to Shopify's Checkout Extensibility functionality, including utilising the One-Page Checkout, proved to be a resounding success. Strand became one of the first major retailers in Australia and New Zealand to implement this feature, showcasing its commitment to staying at the forefront of eCommerce technology.

The results were not only marked by technical achievements but also by tangible business success. Strandbags reported a seamless and efficient customer checkout experience, contributing to increased online sales and search traffic. Implementing Click & Collect features, including pickup location display and stock availability validation, enhanced the customer experience.

Key Takeaways

The partnership between Strand and MindArc in the last four years exemplifies a successful collaboration, where shared goals and technical expertise converge to address the challenges posed by the ever-evolving eCommerce landscape. By embracing digital transformation and leveraging the latest features offered by Shopify, Strand overcame its challenges and positioned itself as a pioneer in delivering a superior online shopping experience in the competitive retail market of Australia and New Zealand.