It’s no surprise that some Australian retailers are finding it difficult to add online shopping to their customer offering, as expansion into the online sphere requires some fundamental changes to back-end business operations. But it has to be done in order to compete, as e-commerce has become a necessity for businesses looking to maintain a strong customer base in the digital age.
During Christmas 2015, Australia Post found 53 per cent of Australians purchased products online. Soon after, the National Australia Bank announced Australian online retail sales for 2016 had reached almost $21 billion, a 15 per cent increase from the year before, compared to an average 11 per cent increase in overseas markets.
Big hitters like Amazon, eBay and Catch of the Day have led to significantly lowered prices and offer consumers the opportunity to effortlessly search for lower prices between competitors. This cycle creates enormous pressure for retailers to perform and rapidly adapt.
In early 2014, Lowes successfully revamped its operations by extending its business online. While still very successful in its retail business, Lowes’ management intended to expand into the e-commerce space to further grow the brand and serve customers who love its products but required the convenience of online ordering.
Brother was tasked with addressing Lowes’ print, scan and fax challenges across the retail, warehouse and corporate sector of its business and was able to solve all of the issues faced by Lowes’ move into e-commerce. This guaranteed a smooth transition for the leading Australian retailer to meet the operational needs of its new direction.
For more information, visit Brother Empowers.