Ace expands partnership with eBay Enterprise
Ace Hardware has expanded its partnership with eBay Enterprise to enhance its omnichannel capabilities as the company ramps up its efforts to stay competitive, drive sales and acquire new customers.
Ace and eBay Enterprise partnered together during the summer of 2013 to pilot the in-store pickup program. Its initial implementation included 36 stores and on average has added this cloud-based solution to more than 50 stores per month. By the end of July with more than 500 stores enabled with eBay Enterprise In-Store Pickup, Ace has realized an average lift of 18 to 20% in its e-commerce sales. Furthermore, Ace has seen growth in overall sales and new customers they would have not obtained without this program.
“We had been searching for a solution to help us acquire new customers and drive additional sales to our brick and mortar locations,” said Jeff Gooding, director of consumer marketing at Ace. “The decision to implement eBay Enterprise In-Store Pickup has had immediate positive effects for us. The flexibility, ease of use, extensive training at the local store level and support from eBay Enterprise for our retail associates was key to making this initiative successful.”
Since 2003, eBay Enterprise has provided Ace with commerce solutions, including webstore, marketing solutions, drop ship, fulfillment and customer service. With more than 4,800 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Ace plans to launch the in-store pickup solution in a total of 1,000 stores nationwide.
“Local is one of the key battlegrounds for retailers looking to create a competitive advantage. eBay Enterprise is leading store fulfillment globally with quick to implement solutions live in North America, Europe and Asia,” said Tom Barone, head of omnichannel operations for eBay Enterprise, North America. “eBay Enterprise provides technology and services that enable retailers to compete, attract new customers and drive additional sales with industry-leading ROI.”
Ace has more than 4,875 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, and is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and also have distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers’ stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 60 countries.