"Any-Channel" Commerce Drives 82% Transaction Growth

By Matt Pillar, chief editor

February 2014 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

Transaction volume and a host of other key commerce metrics skyrocketed after high-end outdoor apparel retailer Ibex implemented a new retail commerce suite.

Meeting customer demands has become scary business for multichannel retailers. Leading progressive merchants have spoiled consumers with fast, flexible, and often free order fulfillment, setting expectations that smaller and more conservative retailers have struggled to fulfill. But for fast-growing Ibex, it’s a gross understatement to say the risk of investing in an end-to-end, any-channel commerce suite was well worth the reward.

Less than three years ago, the small specialty retailer was struggling to meet demand from its fervent and growing customer base. Ibex manufactures ultra-highquality, primarily wool-based performance apparel for outdoor enthusiasts. Its merchandise — more than 70 percent of which is manufactured in North America using premium, globally sourced wool — ranges from high-tech performance gear for mountain bikers and climbers to high-end lifestyle wear for casual outdoor enthusiasts. The retailer’s customers love its products, but the more they clamored for them, the harder it became for them to meet demand.