Case Study | Strategies to Boost Online Shopping by Converting Offline Customers

Functional Topic

Digital Product Innovation: Online Shopping

Project Industry

Retail

Needed Support

Team of Strategy Consultant, Product Innovation Expert, Digital Marketing Consultant

Duration

4 Months

The Challenge

The client, a retail company, needed a clear strategy to increase their online sales and boost online shopping by converting their existing offline customers into online buyers.

The goal was to create a seamless transition for their traditional in-store customers while enhancing their online platform to make it more attractive and easy to use. Additionally, the client required a working prototype to test potential solutions in real market conditions.

Role of Consultport

To support the development of this new strategy, the client engaged Consultport, asking for a team of a strategy consultant, a product innovation expert, and a digital marketing consultant.

Consultport provided a shortlist of candidates within 48 hours, and the client ultimately chose a team of three consultants with a background in top-tier consulting firms and with previous experience in digital strategies.

The Approach

The project began with an in-depth review of digital innovation practices in the retail industry. The team analyzed the market leaders in major retail markets in China, the USA, and Europe that had successfully transitioned offline customers to online platforms. For example, the team studied how Chinese retailers leveraged mobile apps and QR code-based payments to boost online shopping. In the USA, they looked at click-and-collect models, where customers could order online and pick up in-store, a system that bridges offline and online shopping.

Following this research, the team conducted consumer surveys and interviews to understand the barriers preventing the client’s offline customers from shopping online. These insights revealed that the complexity of the website and concerns over online payments were primary issues.

Based on these findings, the team proposed three solutions to the client, including a simplified online shopping interface, integration of mobile payment options, and a loyalty program that rewarded both online and offline purchases. The best solutions, discussed in workshops, were developed into prototypes and tested in pilot projects to measure their impact to boost online shopping.

The Results

The pilot projects delivered significant improvements that helped boost online shopping for the client, with a streamlined checkout process, the introduction of a loyalty program, and improved customer engagement. The prototypes were approved and tested in the market.

Streamlined Checkout Process

One pilot tested a simplified checkout process that reduced the number of steps to complete a purchase. This improvement led to a 10% reduction in cart abandonment rates, directly encouraging more customers to finalize their purchases and boost conversions.

Increased Repeat Purchases through Loyalty Program

The loyalty program, which rewarded customers for both online and offline purchases, resulted in a 15% increase in repeat online purchases during the pilot phase. This strategy effectively engaged customers across both channels, contributing to an overall increase in online transactions.

Improved Customer Engagement

The team’s redesign of the client’s online platform, focusing on ease of use and personalized shopping experiences, resulted in a 12% increase in the time customers spent browsing online. This directly contributed to higher sales and helped further boost online shopping.

Enhanced Trust in Payment Security

By integrating mobile wallet payments and improving transparency around online transactions, the pilot projects showed a 20% increase in customer trust regarding online payments. This led to more first-time online purchases, further helping to boost online shopping activity.