Speeding Up Fulfillment
Swimmers, bikers and runners in search of high quality equipment know Nytro. This sports enthusiast's paradise, which made its debut in 1992, offers a wide assortment of premium sporting goods and durable apparel and footwear designed for the most avid athletes. The retailer today operates a bustling Web site which sells merchandise to customers across the globe and a shop based in Encinitas, CA.
The retailer, which relies heavily on its robust online business, also is heavily engaged with its most dedicated customers via social media tools including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, a custom newsletter and a blog called Nytro Buzz Stop.
As the business grew, the retailer was challenged by inventory inaccuracies. Without a DC, the retailer also relied on its brick-and -mortar store to fulfill Web orders and often struggled to fulfill many of its orders.
Searching for a Better Solution
In 2007, Nytro decided to begin searching for a solution that would improve fulfillment and better serve its dedicated customers. "The numbers were constantly out-of-sync," says Greg Moser, Web director, Nytro. "This was the catalyst for our upgrade."
After narrowing the solution pool down to three providers, the retailer ultimately decided on the Enterprise Suite of Command Retail E-commerce from Celerant. This fully integrated Web solution, according to Moser, "worked seamlessly with our POS."
Today, the retailer has greatly improved the speed and ability to fulfill online orders. According to Moser, pre-rollout, the retailer was able to fulfill roughly 60-70 percent of all orders. By using Celerant's integrated e-commerce solution, the retailer is now able to fulfill 98 percent of orders, an improvement of roughly 30 percent.
"We are now able to manage orders more effectively and streamline a lot of processes," says Moser. "We also now have the ability to better know our business from a buying and planning standpoint. The analytics are far superior to what we were previously using."
The retailer also has launched several advanced features on its Web site including product comparison tools, product alternate views, dynamic navigation, and express checkout.
"Express checkout has been a huge benefit for our customers since this process used to be multi-phased," says Moser. "Now, our repeat customers can checkout in a single click."
Moser adds, "One of the major benefits of the solution is the ability to accommodate special orders of high-end bikes that may not be in stock."
Post-launch the retailer added a product comparison engine, which according to Moser, "gives us a leg up on competition, since we are one of the few companies in the biking industry that offer this."
In the near future, Nytro will add a new function to its Web site that allows customers to build a bike from scratch, which according to Moser will likely launch in June. Nytro also plans to make modifications to its loyalty program, which will include mailing personalized e-mails with special discounts to customers and awarding points on purchases.