RC Hobby Estore: Expands Internationally
Transcription
RC Hobby Estore: Expands Internationally
CASE STUDY be seen. RC Hobby Estore: Expands Internationally; Increases Listings from 20 to 4000 in 10 Days COMPANY OVERVIEW RC Hobby Estore specialises in selling remote-control vehicles and their accessories both in its primary Australia/New Zealand market as well as to hobbyists around the world. Operating since 2004, the business comprises of three full-time employees (including its two co-owners), supported by part-time staff and contractors located in countries ranging from the Philippines, India, US, Germany and Bangladesh. RC Hobby Estore uses the ChannelAdvisor platform to sustain its multichannel operations across its proprietary webstore, eBay, and most recently Trade Me in New Zealand, as well as utilising ChannelAdvisor’s professional services to manage their Paid Search activity. When they purchased the business, RC Hobby Estore’s current owners found the ChannelAdvisor platform already in place across its full range of operations. The existing ChannelAdvisor solution was focused primarily around consolidated inventory management, enabling RC Hobby Estore to monitor and track stock levels across multiple sales channels including eBay and six comparison shopping websites. “The ChannelAdvisor platform is the engine room of our operation,” said Peter Dickinson, co-owner of RC Hobby Estore. “The ability to pool and track our data across a range of markets has been instrumental in how we streamline our inventory, and gives us an integrated, automated base that can sustain growth while maintaining rigorous control over our processes.” “The previous owner wasn’t exaggerating in his support of the ChannelAdvisor platform: we’ve found it extremely powerful and easy to get the hang of, even after throwing ourselves in the deep end of commercialscale online shopping.” ChannelAdvisor’s services included technical support that mapped directly to the fast-moving, always-on nature of e-commerce – in September 2013, ChannelAdvisor technicians were quick to deliver rapid after-hours support to Dickinson in remedying a critical promotion setup issue the business was experiencing as part of the Click Frenzy Father’s Day event. Dickinson recognised a need to make RC Hobby Estore more agile and responsive if it were to successfully expand into new geographic markets. Doing so would not only require new e-commerce capabilities, but a means by which to manage a small but global workforce without compromising RC Hobby Estore’s attention to customer service. Location: Brookvale, NSW, Australia URL: www.rchobbyestore.com.au Industry: Toys and Accessories “ Our experience with ChannelAdvisor has been one of 24/7 reliability and scalability, globallyaccessible supply chain integration – there’s nothing they haven’t been able to do for us. “ SITUATION - Peter Dickinson Co-Owner RC Hobby Estore SOLUTION For its expansion into New Zealand, RC Hobby Estore launched on Trade Me through ChannelAdvisor, adding the marketplace to its channel mix of eBay, comparison shopping engines and the RC Hobby Estore webstore (www.rchobbyestore.com.au). Due to the ease of integration through ChannelAdvisor, RC Hobby Estore began a pilot project selling a range of 20 products on Trade Me to New Zealand hobbyists. “Not only were we able to seamlessly incorporate Trade Me into our inventory management and supply chain processes, but we also gained access to a wealth of strategic data that ended up directing our go-tomarket strategy,” said Dickinson. “When we looked at the sales data and inquiries coming out of the Trade Me integration, we found a significant level of interest in our spare parts compared to the vehicles themselves: that sort of market opportunity would’ve been invisible were it not for the consolidated viewpoints of the ChannelAdvisor platform.” Being able to rapidly respond to these sorts of opportunities, as well as manage day-to-day customer service in a 24/7 environment, were key considerations for RC Hobby Estore’s ongoing viability and growth. Dickinson centralised the business’ customer service, design, and technical operations on ChannelAdvisor’s software-as-a-service platform, including RC Hobby Estore’s Asia-Pacific based call centre and contract designer. “Distributing our workforce globally allows us to reduce costs and stay lean whilst delivering the service levels our customers expect,” said Dickinson. “However, this makes a common platform for data and resource management all the more important. With ChannelAdvisor, we don’t end up with inconsistent versions of data or miscommunication over customer or technical tickets – everyone’s on the same page no matter where they are in the world.” RESULTS Using the ChannelAdvisor platform, RC Hobby Estore was able to transition from its Trade Me pilot to a full-scale launch within 10 days – a move that saw 20 initial product listings grow to more than 4000 within that time. The data provided by the Trade Me integration enabled RC Hobby Estore to prioritise its listings to target demand identified amongst its new customers and prospects. The expansion required no additional manpower to RC Hobby Estore’s existing small group of flexible working personnel. “As an online merchant in a particularly niche area, we strive to operate as a trusted global retailer and punch well above our weight when it comes to service and sales,” said Dickinson. “Our experience with ChannelAdvisor has been one of 24/7 reliability and scalability, globally-accessible supply chain integration – there’s nothing they haven’t been able to do for us.” Copyright 2014 ChannelAdvisor Corporation. All rights reserved. 1300 887 239 | www.channeladvisor.com.au | [email protected] ChannelAdvisor Solutions ✓ Digital Marketing Ensure your products are front and centre across the internet by bringing all the elements of digital marketing under one umbrella. ChannelAdvisor Digital Marketing increases your visibility on global, local and mobile search engine results pages through Google Product Listing Ads, paid search and comparison shopping engines; keeps consumers engaged through retargeting and affiliate networks; and introduces your products on social media sites such as Pinterest and Facebook. ✓ Marketplaces Reach ready-made audiences on global marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Trade Me, Best Buy, La Redoute, MercadoLivre, Newegg, Rakuten. com Shopping, Sears and more. ChannelAdvisor Marketplaces enables automated delivery of product data to every destination, trouble-free management and the capability to expand internationally. ✓ Webstores Amplifier Synchronise your product data between your webstore and all of your marketplace listings, amplifying your online reach, capabilities and results. ChannelAdvisor Webstores Amplifier allows you to launch new products quickly, ship orders seamlessly, change or update your webstore platform at any time and expand effortlessly. Rich Media