News
Woolworths Revamp to Strengthen Multichannel Offerings
- 3rd November
- Natasha Sholl 86
Woolworths and BIG W are set to expand their multichannel presence after massive online growth, while Dick Smith struggles to keep up.
At its recent investor briefing, Woolworths Limited announced it intends to strengthen its multichannel presence. The Australian retailer noted a 63% growth in online sales for the 2011 financial year.
“We are really seeing a revolution in retail as customers integrate mobile, social networking and other internet-enabled technologies into their bricks and mortar shopping experience,” said Grant O’Brien, Chief Executive of Woolworths.
Woolworths has found that customers who shop both in-store and online spend 70% more than customers who shop solely in-store.
“It isn’t a question of online or offline,” O’Brien said, “it’s about integrating the two seamlessly and we are increasingly finding that our most valuable customers are ones who do both.”
The company has commenced the roll out of its new online platform which now uses Everyday Rewards data from in-store and online purchases to create a list of customers’ regular purchases.
The supermarket chain’s iPhone app has already seen great success, with over 1.1 million downloads since it launched in August 2011. An Android version launched in September 2011. The app, which enables users to shop, search for products, scan barcodes, create shopping lists, locate stores via GPS and access Everyday Rewards offers and fuel savings vouchers, will also be updated in line with Woolworths’ other multichannel offerings.
Following the success of the supermarket app, Woolworths subsidiary BIG W has announced the launch of an app allowing customers to both shop and compare competitor prices.
The company also announced a review of the Dick Smith consumer electronics business which reported a 14.9% decline in the last financial period.
