GNC hears the customer’s voice – with help from Amazon
GNC Holdings Inc. is making it easier for customers to order from their homes.
The vitamins and supplements retailer is partnering with Amazon to launch hands-free, voice-activated ordering via Amazon Alexa voice-enabled devices. Customers will be able to link their GNC accounts during the GNC skill setup on their Amazon device or mobile device with Amazon Alexa app installed.
The skill setup will permit users who have accounts on the GNC e-commerce site to repurchase products from their last three most recent orders. In addition, the skill will permit users who have auto-deliver & save (ADAS) delivery subscriptions with GNC to modify subscriptions; as well as create the ability to pause, skip, cancel, change send dates, send immediately, or remove an item from ADAS orders. The skill will also allow users to increase or decrease subscription frequency at the item level or subscription level.
“Debuting this new feature allows us to deliver on our commitment to offering customers personalized solutions,” said Daniel Frattaroli, director of e-commerce, GNC. “We’re enhancing the overall customer experience by seamlessly fitting into our customers’ busy lives and daily routines to ultimately encourage healthy habits and help customers on their journey to Live Well.”
[Read more: GNC bulks up omnichannel revenue with new shopping option]
Voice assistants are becoming a more popular digital commerce channel, especially among valuable Gen Z consumers, according to a recent survey from Brightpearl. Results indicated two-thirds of Gen Z shoppers have used non-traditional ways of spending in the past year, with 35% using Amazon Alexa.
GNC strengthens omnichannel customer experience
GNC is leveraging voice ordering as an integral part of a broader strategy to provide customers with the best omnichannel shopping experience possible. Other examples of this strategy include partnering with Target-owned on-demand delivery platform Shipt to offer same-day online delivery nationwide. Shipt customers can select GNC in the Shipt app and website to order products including vitamins and supplements, beauty and skincare products, and fitness equipment.
In addition, GNC utilizes the e-Spirit FirstSpirit digital experience (DXP) platform to personalize and publish digital marketing content, including images and shoppable videos, to all customer touchpoints based on shopper individual interests and preferences.
On the order management side, GNC deploys the Verint Experience Management platform to capture actionable and diagnostic digital experience data to drive enterprise-wide improvements. The company also uses the solution to help gain a deeper understanding of customer and employee sentiment and behaviors with improved access to customer data, collected via digital feedback sources and combined with data in its CRM platform.
And with the cloud-based order management system (OMS) from enVista, the retailer is obtaining enterprise inventory visibility. GNC now has a single view of the customer, inventory, order, item, and payment across the enterprise, enabling it to better deliver a consistent, customer-centric brand experience across all channels and locations. In addition, the retailer has expanded its dropship program by 400% with enVista’s dropship solution.
GNC operates more than 3,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada.