The Stokomani example: an e-commerce site launched in 3 weeks

A retailer without an e-commerce site in 2020 may seem surprising. Yet this was the case for Stokomani, leader in brand-name destocking. But this was without taking into account the profound transformation strategy implemented by the company to increase its visibility and win over new customers. And because things never happen by chance, the health crisis and store closures reinforced the brand's need for a rapid e-commerce presence. Accompanied by Quable's teams, the brand was able to launch its e-commerce site in less than 3 weeks, thanks to the PIM (Product Information Management). Here's a look back at this extraordinary achievement.

Stokomani, a retailer in full transformation

Specialist in destocking, Stokomani Stokomani offers a mix of textile and bazaar products from over 300 major brands and private labels in its 125 shops. With more than 300 new items presented each week in the shops, the company offers thousands of items at low prices for the whole family with a strong seasonal aspect. 

The transformation project undertaken by Stokomani aims to win over new customers and improve its reputation and visibility. This involves developing its presence on digital channels as well as extending its ranges to meet consumer expectations. In this context, the launch of e-commerce was an obvious way to win over new customers.

What are the challenges for Stokomani in 2020?

Reinforced by the Covid crisis and the closure of shops, the company's e-commerce project took on its full meaning. The aim was to launch an e-shop that would be operational quickly then a click & collect service - Customers do not hesitate to travel 30 to 40 kilometres to visit a Stokomani shop.

In order to meet these challenges, it was imperative to proceed first and foremost with an overhaul of internal processes and a structuring of product information. Indeed, with hundreds of suppliers, thousands of references, some 300 new items per week and a particularly wide range of products, the challenge was first of all to build a solid and unified foundation on which the brand's omnichannel ecosystem - including the e-commerce site - could be built. - including the e-commerce site - could rely on. The management of EANs, attributes and media enrichment were therefore priorities that logically led the Stokomani teams to choose Quable PIM to accompany them in their project.

Quable thus provided expert business support to frame the data model before making the product database reliable, structured and enriched. It was also necessary to set up indicators of completeness and the associated dashboards while defining workflows appropriate. This upstream work enabled Stokomani to meet its objectives in record time.

Accelerating on digital: results achieved with PIM

Once the product information was structured, the Quable and Zen'to - service partner - teams were fully mobilized to implement the PIM and to deploy the Stokomani e-shop. More than 7000 products have been referenced in the PIM DAM. 300 to 500 new products are added every week.

With this new unified and solid base, Stokomani was able to deploy its e-commerce site on Prestashop in less than three weeks. With a particularly favourable timing - the November 2020 lock-in had just begun - the company gained notoriety on the web and observed a strong growth of its traffic on the site. This proves that there was a real expectation on the part of consumers.

This first step has allowed Stokomani to calmly consider the next step in its digital strategy: deploying five pilot stores for Click & Collect in June 2021. From the e-commerce site, customers can choose to collect their purchases in these stores. A daring gamble for the brand, which has led to a change of mindset for its store employees. The new vision of the customer and the use of new tools are changing habits and internal processes. Promising challenges for the future: Stokomani would like to deploy new sales channels, such as marketplaces, to continue to gain visibility and notoriety. And now that it is equipped with Quable PIM, nothing can stop it!

Why is PIM essential in an omnichannel strategy?

Like Stokomani, many companies have integrated omnichannel into their strategy in recent years. The aim is to be present where the customers are, whose buying paths are no longer linear but multiple. However, to be able to offer relevant and satisfying omnichannel experiences to the customer, It is internally that the company must first structure itself. 

In this perspective, PIM/DAM is the essential ally because it makes product information available, valid, complete and consistent. As a collaborative platform, it allows all teams to work more efficiently to make the entire value chain fluid and the entire value chain, from product listing to distribution through sales channels.

While information systems are evolving ever more rapidly, PIM can be connected to any tool, adapt to all sales channels and manage all possible product attributes. Thus, it is as essential for BtoB merchants as it is for BtoC merchants and is an indispensable asset for all e-merchants wishing to develop in an omnichannel way.

Conclusion

Deploying an e-commerce site is often a long-term project requiring months of work. In a context where the timing was crucial and the stakes were high, Stokomani was able to defy the usual deadlines by putting a first version of its e-shop online in just a few weeks. The secret? A meticulous upstream work to structure the product information and create a unified base that will serve the whole of its omnichannel strategy. This is an essential and highly beneficial step, both for the internal teams and to facilitate the implementation of the omnichannel strategy. In the end, an omnichannel strategy without PIM is like a retailer without an e-commerce site: you can do without it, but you soon realize that it is essential.