Canadian Retailer - Store 2013 - 37

E-COMMERCE MID-SIZE RETAILER

THE FUTURE OF SHOPPING IS MOBILE

Canadian e-commerce leader
introduces QR code virtual store
STAYING on top of the constantly changing
behaviours of today’s consumer is a daunting
task faced by every retailer the world over. Most
shoppers are time-starved and crave convenience; they want what they want when and how
they want it; they want options; but they’re also
searching for an in-store retail experience that’s
going to engage and connect with them.
In an effort to address these needs and desires, and to capitalize on smartphone penetration which reached 45 per cent of the Canadian
mobile market in 2012, Well.ca launched “Delivering the Future of Shopping”.

sponse was extraordinary.
“We were very pleased with the success of the project,” says
Paige Malling, vice president of marketing at Well.ca. “It surpassed all of our expectations without surpassing the budget,
and the participation of the Toronto public with the app was
overwhelming. It’s evidence that the e-commerce landscape in
Canada is still changing.”
Delivering the future

Two of the most oft-cited reasons given to explain the underperformance of Canadian e-commerce are ease of use and prohibitive shipping costs. As one of Canada’s largest e-commerce
players, Well.ca is uniquely positioned to show Canadian consumers and the industry the potential of e-commerce and remove the most common barriers.
During the campaign, all 13 brands with products available in the Virtual Store experienced
at least a 100 per cent increase in sales and shipments during the campaign. One brand experienced a 1000 per cent increase over the previous
month, selling more during the campaign's first
week than in the previous 12 months combined.
This, according to Malling, is indicative of the
Canadian consumer’s desire to shop and order
product online. In fact, the products featured in
the virtual store have continued to grow postcampaign (26 per cent over pre-virtual store
time period), demonstrating the sustained value
of the customers acquired during the campaign.

First ever virtual store in North America wows customers.

The future is now

Collaborative effort

The initiative centred on the development and
execution of the very first virtual store in the
country and first QR code virtual store in North
America. In market for the entire month of April,
2012, the store was located at Toronto’s Union
Station, the busiest commuter station in the city.
Torontonians passing by in droves could browse
a selection of 120 top home, beauty and baby
products which were displayed in photo-realistic
representations on the subway walls.
To make a purchase, customers used the
Well.ca app on their smartphone to scan a
product’s QR code, checkout, and receive free
shipping across Canada on every order. The re-

To ensure that the campaign was conceived and executed
properly, taking into account every variable and factor, the
company engaged all facets of the operation, starting with concept development and advertising management in the marketing department, followed by software creation in development,
alignment across customer care and purchasing strategies, and
preparation and readiness in the shipping department.
“We knew that we needed to make sure everything was properly prepared ahead of launching this initiative,” explains Malling. “This was a huge undertaking resulting in huge results. And
it was only possible with the participation and work of the entire
team. And as smartphone penetration continues to rise, we’ll
continue to explore new ways to connect with Canadians and deliver on those expectations.”

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Canadian Retailer - Store 2013

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