Moving to Multi-Channel E-Commerce: Lessons Learned from a Case Study of an Apparel and Home-Ware Catalogue Company

ABSTRACT After the “dot-com bust” there is considerable evidence that multi-channel retailers are more successful than purely on-line retailers. We talked to the management team of one of the most successful multi-channel apparel and home-ware retailers in Australasia about the business and technology factors that enabled their growth. We found seven key business strategies enabled growth and expansion into new channels, including e-commerce: integrated operational functions, channel synergy, logistics management, presenting a consistent brand, effective customer management, learning from customers, and informed imitation. These strategies were supported by integrated information technology applications. At the time of our study, the recently added Internet channel was not fully integrated with the other core systems. This was being adequately managed through strong internal processes but had the potential to constrain future growth in this channel. We examine the factors that led to the firm's success and some of the issues and constraints they are experiencing. We then extract from their experiences the lessons that can be learned by other organisations.