Do it Best dials up rewards
Everybody likes to be rewarded.
Parlaying that human instinct into a successful retail program was one of the highlights of a presentation by Joe Taylor, of Virginia-based Taylor’s Do it Centers and chairman of the board of the Fort Wayne, Indiana-based co-op.
Best Rewards is a critical tool for the future of our business strategy,” said Taylor, addressing the co-op’s annual shareholders meeting in Indianapolis. “Not only does it drive customer retention and increased sales, but it helps us build valuable customer data such as purchase history and buying behaviors which in turn influence our overall marketing strategy.”
The rewards program, he said, allows the retailer to leverage relationships developed over the years (decades actually) in the store environment. It allows for more efficient marketing and allows for more personalized shopping experiences for customers.
Taylor hailed the integration of Best Rewards into the co-op’s new Adobe ecommerce platform as an advancement toward a more seamless experience for customers.
The new ecommerce platform marked another highlight deserving of attention at the shareholders meeting. Several years in the making, and fueled by a “large capital investment,” the co-op wide ecommerce platform is up and running —and bringing results, he said.
“Our stores have seen an increase in online orders of more than 200%,” Taylor said. “In spring alone, we saw a 130% increase in online sales compared to last year. And, while same day pickup orders are a large portion of that, we have also seen a significant increase in ship-to-store and ship-to-home orders which require little to no management on our part.”
Taylor’s Do it Centers joined Do it Best in 1990, when the retailer had five hardware stores and about $12 million in sales. The business has since expanded to 21 stores and $50 million in sales. Taylor said that growth couldn’t have happened without leaning on the co-op’s programs such as Best Rewards and the new Ecommerce platform.
Taylor added that convenience means more than just a convenient location.
“It means offering customers easy and flexible shopping options both in-store and online,” he said. “We must embrace ecommerce within our businesses to meet customers where they are and equip our employees with the tools to be successful.”
