Multiple Touchpoints

This year more than ever, holiday shoppers are coming to retailers across a variety of channels and touchpoints. Retailers need to provide a consistent and personalized experience for customers wherever they are.

Boston-based, 26-store specialty sporting goods chain City Sports is leveraging cloud-based technology from digital marketing platform provider BlueConic to ensure that holiday customers receive personalized omnichannel service.



“We want to build a customer profile and link it across devices,” said Ryan Peters, director of e-commerce at City Sports. “We want to have one view and one voice across all channels.”



With an eye toward having omnichannel targeting functionality in place for the holiday season, City Sports rolled out the BlueConic platform in June. Visitors to the retailer’s desktop or mobile website are delivered targeted promotions and messages based on such factors as their IP address and browsing history. This includes prompts to visit nearby stores, as well as targeted offers for regionally popular merchandise.



In stores, associates have access to an iPad app that lets them search online inventory for out-of-stock items, with free next-day delivery. The store is also linked to the digital experience through such services as buy online pick up in store, as well as a new partnership with FedEx that lets customers in the Greater Boston area receive same-day shipping for products bought through the in-store iPad app or online.



Once a customer makes a purchase or joins the City Sports loyalty program, the retailer can collect the data and provide an even more personalized and relevant omnichannel experience. The BlueConic platform analyzes data from existing Google Analytics and CRM systems to collect and analyze information across channels to uncover deeper patterns and customer intents.



Compiling a comprehensive omnichannel view of its customers is especially crucial as City Sports finds itself gearing up for a holiday selling season that starts earlier and earlier.



“For the last two years, everything has been getting pulled forward from Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” Peters said. “Targeted holiday promotions now have to start running one to two weeks before Black Friday.”