Owner of Coast, Oasis and Warehouse brands is first fashion group to launch rapid multichannel delivery, as well as completing the outsourcing of its IT operations
Owner of Coast, Oasis and Warehouse brands is first fashion group to launch rapid multichannel delivery, as well as completing the outsourcing of its IT operations
Aurora Fashions, the group behind UK women’s fashion brands Coast, Oasis and Warehouse, has launched 90-minute deliveries across all its brands, becoming the first fashion retailer to do so.
The service, part of Aurora’s strategy to provide its customers with the widest range of delivery options on the market, is being provided by internet startup Shutl. It allows customers to order and receive their product within as little as 90 minutes by selecting this option at the checkout on the brands’ websites. The service is currently being offered within London and will be rolled out to other locations in due course.
Adding immediacy to e-commerce
Hash Ladha, Aurora Fashions group multichannel director, said: “Our customers want the freedom and flexibility to shop and buy in whatever way best suits their lifestyle. They can now order a product across any of our brands in the afternoon and be wearing it that same evening, which is a fashion first. We have upgraded all our delivery options and we now provide the widest range and fastest options available to our customers with both same day and 90 minute delivery.”
Oasis were the first brand to pioneer this technology, followed by Coast and Warehouse who launched the 90 minute delivery option towards the end of last month. Aurora Fashions has also introduced premium next day delivery, a new concept that enables customers to order after the usual next day service timeframe finishes.
Ladha added: “Premium next day delivery uniquely extends normal next day ordering hours to midnight, seven days a week. Combined with 90 minute deliveries, this positions Aurora at the forefront of new developments in multi-channel retailing in response to customer demand.”
Business-as-usual IT outsourcing
In other news, Aurora also recently finalised the outsourcing of its IT functions to the retail-only solutions and IT managed services provider, Retail Assist.
Some 48 Aurora employees have joined Retail Assist. All will continue to work from their current offices in London and Oxfordshire.
Retail Assist’s co-founder and managing director, Alan Morris, said: “In one form or another, we’ve worked with Aurora for nine years. We originally worked with the Warehouse and Principles brands, then with Mosaic Fashions. When the businesses emerged as Aurora Fashions, we continued and built upon our existing relationship.”
When, as part of its corporate strategy, Aurora looked to outsource infrastructure services including IT, the company invited Retail Assist to put forward a proposal detailing how they could move from services supplier to manage Aurora’s entire IT operation. Retail Assist was successful in reaching an agreement in a competitive scenario.
Allowing business to focus on growth
For both Aurora and Retail Assist, it will be ‘business as usual’. The transition of Aurora employees has now been completed. The contract will allow Aurora’s brand-focused operational units to concentrate on customer service and business growth, and previous Aurora employees can look forward to future opportunities for career progression within a larger IT team, according to the provider.
Richard Glanville, Aurora Fashions chief financial officer, commented: “This new structure, which has been achieved without any job losses, is very much about growth. We saw that Retail Assist were the ideal partner for the expansion required, an excellent fit for our staff, and a move that would allow our brands to focus on satisfying the needs of their customers.”
For Aurora, the new arrangements will preserve the shared services benefits of cost-effectiveness, access to expertise and ‘best practice’ IT solutions, providing the group with a strong foundation for future growth.
