The Stokomani example: an e-commerce site launched in three weeks

It may seem surprising that a retailer would not have an e-commerce site in 2020. Yet this was the case for Stokomani, the leader in clearance sales of major brands. But that was without taking into account the far-reaching transformation strategy implemented by the brand to boost its visibility and win over new customers. And because nothing ever happens by chance, the health crisis and the closure of shops further reinforced the need for the brand to establish an online presence quickly. With support from the teams at Quable, the brand was able to launch its e-commerce site in under three weeks thanks to PIM (Product Information Management). Let’s take a look back at this extraordinary achievement.

Stokomani, a retailer undergoing a major transformation

Specialising in clearance sales, Stokomani offers a mix of clothing and general merchandise from over 300 major brands and own-brand products across its 125 shops. With over 300 new items showcased in-store every week, the retailer offers thousands of low-priced products for the whole family, with a strong seasonal focus.

The transformation project undertaken by Stokomani aims to attract new customers and enhance its brand awareness and visibility. This involves, in particular, developing its presence on digital channels as well as expanding its product ranges to meet consumer expectations. In this context, launching an e-commerce platform was a natural step towards attracting new customers.

What challenges did Stokomani face in 2020?

Exacerbated by the Covid crisis and shop closures, the brand’s e-commerce project took on new significance. The aim was to launch a fully operational online shop quickly, followed by a click-and-collect service – customers are usually happy to travel 30 to 40 kilometres to visit a Stokomani store.

To address these challenges, it was essential first and foremost to review internal processes and organise product information. Indeed, with hundreds of suppliers, thousands of product references, some 300 new items per week and a particularly wide range of products, the initial challenge was to build a solid, unified foundation on which the brand’s omnichannel ecosystem – including the e-commerce site – could be built. Managing EANs and product attributes, as well as enriching media content, were therefore priorities which naturally led the Stokomani teams to choose Quable PIM to support them in their project.

Quable provided expert business support to define the data model before ensuring the reliability, structure and enrichment of the product database. It was also necessary to implement completeness metrics and the associated dashboards, whilst defining the appropriate workflows. This preparatory work enabled Stokomani’s objectives to be met in record time.

Accelerating the digital transformation: results achieved thanks to the PIM

Once the product information had been structured, the teams at Quable and Zen’to – the integration partner – were fully mobilised to implement the PIM and enable the launch of the Stokomani e-shop. As a result, more than 7,000 products were catalogued in the PIM DAM. Between 300 and 500 new products are added each week.

Building on this new, unified and robust foundation, Stokomani was able to launch its e-commerce site on Prestashop in under three weeks. With the timing proving particularly favourable – the November 2020 lockdown had just begun – the brand gained greater online visibility and saw a sharp rise in traffic to its website. This proves that there was genuine demand from consumers.

This first step enabled Stokomani to look ahead with confidence to the next phase of its digital strategy: rolling out five pilot stores for Click & Collect in June 2021. Customers can therefore choose to collect their purchases from these stores via the e-commerce site. This was a bold move for the brand, which required a shift in mindset among its in-store staff. The new customer-centric approach and the use of new tools are, in fact, changing internal habits and processes. Promising prospects for the future: Stokomani would like to roll out new sales channels, such as marketplaces, to continue building visibility and brand awareness. And now that it’s equipped with Quable PIM, nothing can stop it!

Why is PIM essential to an omnichannel strategy?

Like Stokomani, many companies have incorporated an omnichannel approach into their strategy in recent years. The aim is to be present wherever customers are, as their purchasing journeys are no longer linear but multifaceted. However, in order to offer relevant and satisfying omnichannel experiences to customers, the company must first organise itself internally.

With this in mind, PIM/DAM is an indispensable ally, as it ensures that product information is available, accurate, complete and consistent. As a collaborative platform, it enables all teams to work more efficiently, streamlining and improving the reliability of the entire value chain – from product listing to distribution across sales channels.

Whilst information systems are evolving at an ever-faster pace, PIM connects to any tool, adapts to all sales channels and manages every possible product attribute. As such, it is just as essential for B2B merchants as it is for B2C merchants and is an indispensable asset for all e-retailers wishing to expand into an omnichannel model.

Conclusion

Launching an e-commerce site is often a long-term project requiring months of work. In a situation where timing was crucial and the stakes were high, Stokomani managed to defy the usual deadlines by launching an initial version of its e-shop in just a few weeks. The secret? Meticulous preparatory work to structure product information and create a unified foundation that would underpin its entire omnichannel strategy. This is an essential and highly beneficial step, both for internal teams and for facilitating the implementation of the omnichannel strategy. Ultimately, an omnichannel strategy without a PIM is like a retailer without an e-commerce site: you can manage without it, but you soon realise it’s essential.