Beaverbrooks Ecommerce Review
From the Retail Inventory: Expectations vs Reality report series
Celebrating 100 years in 2019, jewellery retailer, Beaverbrooks, has over 70 stores nationwide and an ecommerce website, which was launched in 2001. In addition to high street stores, Beaverbrooks also has boutiques dedicated to partner brands, Omega and Tag Heuer.
Beaverbrooks also has an online booking service for in-store appointments which is crucial to those luxury purchase decisions.
Why is stock control important for the company?
Excess stock is something jewellery retailers want to avoid, it doesn’t make sense to stock large quantities of expensive items, which makes having real-time access to data and stock is crucial to the running of the business.
Using geolocation to automatically check where the shopper is displays a list of stores that have the selected item available, displaying stores and a Google Map, as well as store hours and contact details.
A bonus of the availability check is that the shopper has the ability to book an appointment to view the selected item using the online calendar; however, as the system isn’t real-time, you can’t book a same day time slot.
User friendly geolocation
On the product listing page shoppers can click ‘check availability’ which opens a new page where a post code or ‘use my location’ geolocator can be used to search nearby stores. A downside is, that on this page there is a comment stating that stock availability is only updated at 8am each morning, and to check with the store directly about availability before making a special journey.
Initially shoppers may be disappointed that they can’t find the information they need without making a phone call – no good for Millennial shoppers! However, it is a sign of good customer service that the website informs the shopper before making a trip to the store.
Room for improvement?
Overall, Beaverbrooks offers a great online customer experience for browsing, locating stock nearby, and helping shoppers make an informed decision, but there is room for improvement:
- Offering real-time stock availability by store would help give shoppers confidence in the data on the website, and potentially drive more shoppers in-store to view and purchase items.
- Offering same day appointments for items available in-store would help capture those last-minute or mobile shoppers
- Showing quantities available by location could help provide urgency for purchase or visiting
To learn more about Beaverbrooks and what other retailers are doing with their multi-location inventory, download our free Retail Inventory: Expectations vs Reality report.
See the customer’s side of the story when stock data goes wrong
Rachel is passionate about retail and the ever-changing retail technology environment, with a keen eye for upcoming retail trends that are set to shake up the sector.
