LK Bennett crosses border to success

Shoe and apparel retailer LK Bennett has recorded significant success with new cross-border technology

LK Bennett saw increased average order value (AOV) and checkout conversion rates of up to 60% since implementing a multiple market solution from eShopWorld (ESW)

In 2019, the brand and retailer took the decision to restructure its business, bringing all operations back to the UK and closing its US bricks and mortar, and distribution presence. The new strategy would see all markets being served by the UK webstore using a cross-border model.

LK Bennett required a very swift turn-around time to implement a cross-border solution – just 10 weeks – and a partner that had existing ability to integrate into their Hybris ecommerce platform, and deliver a complete solution including pricing, checkout, localisation, duty and tax calculation, delivery and returns.

The US market was the first priority, followed by a second wave of 27 European countries, as well as Norway and Switzerland. Wave three is set to include Canada, Australia, the Middle East, Mexico and Russia.

Value chain

With experience in over 200 markets, eShopWorld put together a ‘go-live’ plan that would deliver LK Bennett’s US cross-border solution in just 8 weeks – a 20% timeline reduction than originally requested by the retailer. The plan considered the entire cross-border ecommerce value chain, localising the experience for shoppers across multiple touchpoints, such as checkout, payments, fraud, logistics and returns.

Creating a solution configured for LK Bennett required a roadmap that took into consideration the markets where there is highest potential for growth and ROI, along with all of the functionality and services to help them capitalise on those opportunities.

The ESW solution focused on building trust and confidence with shoppers through a series of API integrations, beginning with a geo-triggered welcome mat with market-specific messaging, then reinforcing that commitment to the customer across multiple touchpoints including currency, pricing, duty and tax calculation, checkout, payments, delivery and returns.

Since implementation, the company has seen order volumes steadily increase month on month.

Covid impact

As of June 2020, LK Bennett’s ESW integration is trading ahead of target, despite the impact of COVID-19, with AOV running 34% ahead of expectations.

“With such a short timeframe we were unsure if we could even accomplish what we set out to, but eShopWorld were able to address the many concerns of such a major project and developed a plan that answered all our cross-border needs.” Zoe Donovan, digital director at LK Bennett, said.