Soccer Express Scores 25% Revenue Gain With Improved Customer Experience

Soccer Express is Canada’s largest distributor and retailer of soccer equipment and apparel. The company offers brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma to more than 150 soccer clubs across its four Canadian stores and e-commerce website.

After experiencing 30 percent year-over-year growth rates, Soccer Express knew it needed to move away from its siloed, legacy systems if it wanted to scale the business for future growth.

“We were at a point with our company where we needed a system because we were growing so quickly,” explains Andrew Veer, chief operating officer of Soccer Express. “We needed something that would improve our efficiency on two sides.”

Veer says that these two sides are internal communication and customer experience. To achieve this, Soccer Express implemented NetSuite’s unified cloud commerce platform to run its omnichannel sales.

Internal Communication

Soccer Express needed a commerce platform that allowed for easy collaboration across different departments — e.g., sharing customer data and quick communication.

“That’s how it has helped us as a company — the ability to see information in real time, to see what other departments are doing without having to email them,” Veer notes.

This then leads to the second point …

Customer Service

Soccer Express has now standardized customer service, meaning all employees are able to clearly see what other departments are doing with orders — in real time — which leads to an improved customer experience. All customer information is captured in a single repository, providing a 360-degree view of all customer activity, including purchases, returns, exchanges, store visits and engagement with marketing campaigns.

“They [employees] have confidence knowing what's going on with the order, and that customer will be satisfied in terms of getting the exact information they're looking for without going on hold or having to call back,” says Veer.

Additionally, when shoppers are in a Soccer Express retail store, sales associates can access the same information as customer service representatives using NetSuite's point-of-sale solution, providing shoppers a seamless experience across all sales channels.

Tracking Success

Veer says that every business decision made at Soccer Express is made with the customer's experience in mind. To be sure the company is offering the best experience, Veer is tracking the following metrics:

• Days Open: Soccer Express is now able to see how quickly the warehouse can get an order in and out. Prior to using NetSuite's platform, the retailer had orders open for seven days to 10 days, Veer says. Now, Soccer Express is able to get orders out the door in 24-hours or less. “It’s been a game changer in terms of having our inventory accurate,” he adds.
• Call Resolution: In the past, customers would call with inquires like, “What’s going on with my order?” “Can I get a tracking number?” “ When will my order ship?” That has now changed. Customers receive updates on every stage of their order from processing to shipping and delivery. Veer says customers now call for different reasons, like: “How do I update my password?” or “How do I log in to my account?”
• Repeat Customers: Soccer Express is tracking a “huge increase” in repeat customers. Veer believes they're coming back to purchase again after having a good initial experience with the brand.

Since the NetSuite implementation, Soccer Express has increased revenue by 25 percent. Also, the company has seen a 24 percent growth in mobile users and a 30 percent increase in mobile sales.

“The biggest win for us is when you see somebody wearing their local soccer jacket or uniform to school or out shopping,” adds Veer. “We see that as them being excited to be a part of the club and wearing our apparel.”