UK-based women’s shoe and apparel brand LK Bennett, has increased average order value (AOV) and checkout conversion rates of up to 60% since implementing a multiple market solution from eShopWorld (ESW), a leading cross-border ecommerce technology and services provider.
LK Bennett was founded in Wimbledon, London in 1990. Its clothing, shoe and handbag collections are designed in-house and created with expert craftmanship for exceptional quality and style. In 2019, the brand took the decision to restructure its business, bringing all operations back to the UK and closing its US bricks and mortar, and distribution presence. The new strategy would see all markets being served by the UK webstore using a cross-border model.
LK Bennett required a very swift turn-around time to implement a cross-border solution – just 10 weeks. The company needed a partner that had existing ability to integrate into their Hybris ecommerce platform, and deliver a complete solution including pricing, checkout, localisation, duty and tax calculation, delivery and returns.
The US market was the first priority, followed by a second wave of 27 European countries, as well as Norway and Switzerland. Wave three is set to include Canada, Australia, the Middle East, Mexico and Russia.
With experience in over 200 markets, eShopWorld put together a ‘go-live’ plan that would deliver LK Bennett’s US cross-border solution in just 8 weeks – a 20% timeline reduction than originally requested by the retailer. The plan considered the entire cross-border ecommerce value chain, localising the experience for shoppers across multiple touchpoints, such as checkout, payments, fraud, logistics and returns.
Creating a solution configured for LK Bennett required a roadmap that took into consideration the markets where there is highest potential for growth and ROI, along with all of the functionality and services to help them capitalise on those opportunities.
The ESW solution focused on building trust and confidence with shoppers through a series of API integrations, beginning with a geo-triggered welcome mat with market-specific messaging, then reinforcing that commitment to the customer across multiple touchpoints including currency, pricing, duty and tax calculation, checkout, payments, delivery and returns.
Since implementation, the company has seen order volumes steadily increase month on month. As of June 2020, LK Bennett’s ESW integration is trading ahead of target, despite the impact of COVID-19, with AOV running 34% ahead of expectations. A strong proxy for the fit between product and market is the checkout conversion rate, and with rates of up to 60% checkout conversion, LK Bennett’s performance is exceptionally strongly, with the localisation of the shopper experience, delivered through the ESW checkout, giving customers the confidence to complete their purchase, and keep coming back.
“With such a short timeframe we were unsure if we could even accomplish what we set out to, but eShopWorld were able to address the many concerns of such a major project and developed a plan that answered all our cross-border needs.” Zoe Donovan, Digital Director at LK Bennett, explains. “eShopWorld delivered a sophisticated solution in a remarkably short period of time, allowing us to go-live in the US with as little friction as possible. The results speak for themselves.”
Tommy Kelly, CEO of eShopWorld, adds: “LK Bennett is known worldwide for its design, craftsmanship and quality which give its products a strong international appeal. We are delighted with the success LK Bennett has enjoyed since implementing our cross-border solution. These results are a testament to the benefits of providing a seamless shopping experience that is as simple and familiar as possible for the customer, wherever they reside.”
