With more than 2,500 stores in 100 countries, L’Occitane generates more than $1.4 billion dollars in sales outside of France, its country of inception.
As its network of stores continues to expand, the luxury beauty brand and retailer requires a cohesive solution to help manage chain-wide growth. Using Yourcegid Retail, a solution provided by Cegid, L’Occitane can integrate POS, store operations, inventory management and merchandising, as well as customer relationship management (CRM) and loyalty across all stores and channels.
More than 1,000 stores in 25 countries currently are equipped with the cloud-based retail management solution, allowing the retailer to track store sales, product trends and other vital insights in real time.
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“We need to closely monitor what sells, where and when, in order to plan and supply targeted ranges in every international store location, or web channel,” said Etienne de Verdelhan, CIO at L’Occitane, in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. “Our customers and stores have differing needs throughout the world. For instance, in Japan, which accounts for a quarter of global sales, we require a very sophisticated loyalty and multichannel program. The customer there expects it, with higher levels of customer service the norm.”
After completing a global market review of potential vendors, L’Occitane selected the Yourcegid solution in 2010 due to its ability to meet the needs of its international retail luxury business. The platform is localized for each country — featuring language, tax and regulations — and also includes information processes and industry requirements.
“Cegid is one of the few software providers capable of supporting companies worldwide by offering a single, international and localized solution,” de Verdelhan said. “Part of the reason behind upgrading our retail IT systems through Cegid is the ability to stay ahead of constant innovation and new ways of shopping, which the customer expects from us. This includes both the increasing use of mobile devices, as well as the ability to shop via any channel, whether ordering via the Internet, a tablet or mobile phone.”
Improving The Customer Experience
The improved CRM and cross-channel marketing capabilities have empowered L’Occitane to meet and even exceed the expectations of connected consumers. For example, up to 60% of receipts now are attached to known customers, de Verdelhan noted, so L’Occitane can develop more targeted promotional offers, such as buy-one-get-one-free, that will resonate with loyalty club members.
“We can now enjoy more complex interaction with our customers, manage their loyalty points in real time across all sales channels, customize promotions, and offer services such as click and collect,” de Verdelhan said. “Thanks to Cegid’s more innovative technologies, click and collect is being introduced at L’Occitane as a new way of shopping, whereby customers can order items online and collect them within four hours at a chosen store. It’s what customers expect these days, with a shift toward more online shopping and convenience.”
In addition, customers now can benefit from mobile POS, which is being rolled out across locations.
“We’re starting to introduce mini iPads as portable devices on the shop floor, to help store staff interact with customers more; but also for carrying out transactions,” de Verdelhan said. “This is not only better for customer service, but also more efficient financially, given that the cost of a tablet is less than the original registers we use. Mobile devices can also be easily used by staff, including for various back-office tasks, such as checking inventory.”
Yourcegid Retail is currently being deployed in Taiwan, Korea and Brazil, and in the near future, it will be deployed in more countries in Latin America, India and South Africa.
