The era of digital transformation has seen traditional brick-and-mortar retailers challenged to integrate their offline and online channels seamlessly in order to create a unified customer experience. As the cost of doing business rises and competition increases, however, retailers have little choice but to adapt and embrace technology to remain competitive.
In our final video presentation from unified commerce platform Shopline, Heather McIlvaine speaks with George Trittis, owner and founder of What’s Cooking, and Jon Levy, Country Manager for Shopline Australia. In this interview, we discuss What’s Cooking’s journey from a traditional brick-and-mortar business to becoming a modern, omnichannel retailer. By adopting Shopline’s unified commerce solution, What’s Cooking is poised to see growth across its online and offline channels, as well as providing a better experience for its loyal customer base.
Check out the video below to follow the What’s Cooking journey:
Here’s an overview of the discussion:
- The evolution of What’s Cooking
With his extensive background of 40 years in retail, George Trittis transitioned from franchisee to franchisor by launching What’s Cooking in 2011. Over the past 12 years, the brand has grown to encompass nine of its own stores, one franchise, and an online store with an on-premise point-of-sale system. As the business grew, the online store was facing challenges – particularly concerning mobile optimisation and conversion rates.
- The impact of online shopping
The rise of online shopping, accelerated by the pandemic, had a strong impact on the What’s Cooking business.
“Retail, at its core, has stayed the same for hundreds of years,” says Trittis. “Retail online or in-store is about your supply chain, products, cash flow management, marketing and customer service. Online has been a challenge for us in the past, as we have tested with advertising campaigns, Google feeds, and paid search, which have not delivered a profitable model due to poor conversion rates and the need to discount.”
To remain competitive, Trittis realised the need to explore a different approach to integrate online and offline operations more effectively.
- Embracing unified commerce
Recognising that the online storefront could serve as an extension of the physical store, rather than an independent sales channel, Trittis and his team started considering unified commerce solutions. By collaborating with Shopline, a smart commerce platform, they found an ideal partner to transform their retail operations.
- Exploring a new approach to technology
Jon Levy, country manager for Shopline Australia, highlighted George Trittis’s strong instincts and openness to adopting technology to meet the core needs of the business. Shopline’s unified commerce platform offered a consolidated tech stack that streamlined operations and lowered monthly costs, making it a suitable solution for a traditional retailer such as What’s Cooking.
The integration of Shopline’s platform offered several game-changing capabilities for What’s Cooking, including “buy online and collect in-store” options, enabling the brand to leverage its warehouse inventory to fulfil orders for smaller stores. The introduction of an omnichannel membership system has taken their existing loyalty program to the next level – rewarding loyal customers with exclusive discounts and offers both online and in-store, thereby boosting lifetime customer value.
- Leveraging in-store conversion API
With a close relationship between Shopline and Meta, What’s Cooking will be one of the first Australian retailers to leverage the platform’s Facebook in-store conversion API. This feature will enable the brand to leverage in-store customer data and connect it to online advertising campaigns, resulting in greater ROI tracking, better data insights and overall increased conversions. Similar implementations in other markets have resulted in a 13.5 times lift in return on ad spend for total sales, reducing customer acquisition costs and expanding audiences.
- Investing in unified commerce
Despite the challenges faced by the retail industry, now is the perfect time for businesses to invest in unified commerce. This represents an opportunity for operational excellence and cost optimisation, enabling retailers to gain a competitive edge even during market downturns. By focusing on core business areas, such as supply chains, supplier negotiations, and scalability, retailers like What’s Cooking can be better prepared for the next growth period.
What’s Cooking’s journey from a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer to a modern unified commerce platform highlights the importance of embracing technology in the retail industry. Through its partnership with Shopline, the brand is set to enhance its customer experience, increase operational efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition. As retailers face dynamic challenges and opportunities, investing in unified commerce solutions is a key factor in navigating the future of retail successfully.
For more insights and case studies like this, be sure to check out the previous videos in this insightful series.
