Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 44

T
LAURA CANADA’S BOLD
BY MICHAEL TURCSANYI
MONTREAL-BASED retailer Laura Canada has been renowned
for delivering an extremely high level of customer service from
store sales associates and Laura style experts since its inception
in 1930. And, although the company has had a basic website presence
with strong email marketing support for several years, they
could see the shift happening in retail and the increased focus on
online initiatives and e-commerce websites.
2011 marked a significant turning point for the women’s apparel
provider as it launched an e-commerce website that it believed
could replicate the same great experience found in their retail
stores thanks to new and innovative technology. The company’s
vision was to create an integrated multi-channel shopping experience
that could engage and connect customers across all channels
and touch points with a sophisticated e-commerce website
acting as the lynchpin of the operation.
Canadian Multi-Channel Opportunity
It’s clear the lines between Web and retail store channels have
blurred into one another in recent years with countless reports citing
the need to integrate strategies and technologies to maximize
sales and appease new consumer shopping habits. Retail Council
of Canada’s State of Retail Report from 2010 confirms this movement,
stating that Canadian retailers who’ve connected retail
logistics and e-commerce systems saw an average increase of 37
per cent in total sales. But while cross-channel shopping experiences
are emerging as a significant retail shift, the fact remains
44 | canadian retailer | spring 2013 | www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer
there aren’t many retailers in Canada offering
such an experience. Laura Canada’s foresight to
take advantage of this retail gap illustrates their
desire to connect with evolving consumers and
their ability to reinvent themselves.
The result moved Laura Canada into a cat-
egory few other Canadian retailers can lay claim
to: multi-channel retail leaders. Laura.ca, which
launched earlier this year, features cutting edge
integrations with its EPICOR retail systems to
automatically display real-time store-level inventories
for every product listed on the website.
Furthermore, the website leverages its in-store
Loyalty program (Laura Privilege Card) by selling
the card on the website, and incorporating the
membership discounts into all online purchases.
Laura Canada’s commitment to innovation is
best displayed in the checkout portion of the online
shopping experience. Thanks to a unique
integration between Canada Post and OrderDynamics,
the e-commerce platform provider
who powers Laura.ca, shoppers have the option
of shipping purchases to any physical address or
to one of the 6,500 Canada Post outlets of their
choice. In addition to delivery, Laura.ca also offers
online shoppers real-time rate lookups and track-
JUMP INTO ECOMMERCE
The women’s apparel provider is helping set a new
standard for multi-channel retailing in Canada
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http://www.Laura.ca http://www.Laura.ca http://www.Laura.ca http://www.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013

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