Stores Magazine - October 2007 - (Page 64) NUTS AND BOLTS / GLOBAL STRATEGIES Keeping Track of Tracking time, Moosejaw was selling to customers across the country and around the world. The success was bolstered by the fact that by the late 1990s, outdoor gear had gone mainstream: North Face jackets and backpacks were popping up Moosejaw Mountaineering streamlines on every street corner. “Our timing was lucky and, with the international shipping using UPS advent of the Internet, it really went from being a bonus to the business to BY CRAIG GUILLOT being a real driver of the business,” Wolfe says. “Our print catalog is basirom its humble beginnings as what founder and CEO Robert cally a big advertisement for our webWolfe calls a “hole in the wall,” outdoor equipment retailer site.” Moosejaw Mountaineering has grown to seven retail locations As the business expanded, the infraand a thriving online business. structure quickly grew more complicated and it was becoming more difficult An avid outdoorsman, Wolfe knew his products and customers, but the for Moosejaw to keep up with demand. logistics of packaging and shipping – particularly across international borWhen orders came in, they would be ders – was a new concept. With the help of UPS WorldShip solutions and processed on one system, run through software, Moosejaw has been able to grow efficiently and effectively by fothe retail system and then passed along cusing capital expenditures on its core business. to the shipping system. Named for a city in Saskatchewan, B.C., Madison Heights, The inefficiencies slowed the entire opMich.-based Moosejaw got in on e-tailing quite early in the eration, created more work (and overgame. In 1995, when the Internet was in its infancy, Wolfe time) and increased the likelihood that noticed that many of his employees were using the web as customers would not receive their packa communications tool. ages on time. Around that same time, “As we grew, we realized there was no the company was openway we would be able to keep up with ing its second store, but things,” Wolfe says. “It was terribly inWolfe became intrigued efficient.” by what he saw as a vast Moosejaw’s story is hardly unique: new online market. UPS often encounters small, rapidly-exA few of his employpanding companies that struggle to keep ees built a website, and up with demand. Moosejaw’s UPS acwithin a short period of count representative suggested WHAT’S BETTER NOW? that Wolfe tour another client’s plant to see how their problems • Orders ship faster were addressed. As it turned • Customer service is more out, Moosejaw didn’t need a pro-active whole new process — just bet• Information is more accurate ter, easy-to-use technology that could be integrated into its ex• Shipping errors are isting system and provide more significantly reduced control over the business. • Oversight on shipping policies UPS WorldShip is used by is improved more than 550,000 businesses F WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG
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