Exclusive Q&A: Torrid streamlines communications between HQ, stores
Torrid is leveraging a new platform to ensure employees and managers at the store level follow and understand corporate tasks and goals.
The specialty women’s apparel and intimates retailer for sizes 10 to 30 has implemented the new Zipline360 field operations platform from Zipline. In an exclusive interview, Elizabeth Haynes, senior VP store ops, loss prevention & visual merchandising at Torrid, told Chain Store Age about the growing company’s mission to remove any friction in communications between headquarters and stores.
[Read more: Torrid on fire in Q2; to open about 25 stores annually]
What specific field operations challenges were you facing?
Torrid was challenged by many of the same communication problems that other companies with field teams face, including email overload, no single source of accurate communication, field technology that’s not user-friendly, and too much paperwork. As a result, with everything appearing to be a priority, clear focus and timely alignment was often an issue.
We were eager to go digital to streamline communication and task management (and eliminate our paper waste) but didn’t want just another hard-to-use app. We wanted a modern solution that our employees would love and could trust as the single source of accurate communication. Ultimately, we knew this would improve our store execution and the customer experience in our stores.
Why did you select Zipline360?
We knew that many other retailers had successfully leveraged Zipline to meet their business objectives, and Zipline provides the one-stop shop that we were looking for. During our pilot period, it was clear that we were going to get great adoption across all our stores because our employees took to it immediately. It’s very easy to use.
What results have you achieved with Zipline360?
With Zipline, our store execution is now above 90%, which is incredible in an industry that hovers around 30%. Our field employees feel better connected to our brand, which accomplishes our goal that messages are being read (and actioned) by the field.
Are there any future plans for the technology you can discuss?
We are really excited about our fleet being able to use Zipline as the single place they go to do all their work, whether it’s training, tasks, analyzing data, reading messages or participating in surveys. The fact that everyone’s dashboard is customized by role makes it really easy for the team to understand what they need to do to be successful while eliminating a lot of ambiguity and confusion.
Our store teams move a mile a minute, so having one place to log into to find information or complete a task is a huge time saver and makes it easier on them to get their work done so they can spend more time with customers or, for managers, supporting their team.
Zipline releases new Zipline360 field operations platform
The Zipline360 field operations platform now integrates seamlessly with leading systems frontline associates utilize for workflows including human resources, workforce management, content management, employee resource management, learning management, and analytics, among others. The Zipline dashboard provides information in a structured way, based on the individual’s role, location, and current performance, with the goal of enabling them to quickly understand what they need to know, do, and plan for in order to reach corporate goals.