DHL delivers a seamless solution for Pumpkin Patch‘s online success

View DHL delivers a seamless solution for Pumpkin Patch’s online success
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Exceeding customer delivery expectations is just one way Pumpkin Patch is delivering greater online sales growth.

Sewing up a logistics partnership with consistently quick and seamless delivery to online customers has enabled Pumpkin Patch to successfully deliver on a multi-channel sales strategy.

Business snapshot

Founded in 1990 as a mail order business in Auckland Pumpkin Patch now employs over 3,000 people and has over 200 stores in four countries along with wholesale operations in 14 countries. Pumpkin Patch can now be found throughout Australasia, and across Asia and the Middle East.

A market leading position along with the strength of other currencies relative to the New Zealand Dollar has seen Pumpkin Patch experience a significant increase in online sales, which currently make up around 10% of total group turnover.

Tailoring a logistics solution for growth

Pumpkin Patch will export close to 400,000 parcels globally in 2012, around 50% of which will be delivered to Australia, the largest of Pumpkin Patch’s five markets.

Selecting a logistics partner meant ticking four critical boxes:
• speed
• reliability
• strong global and local network credentials
• scale for growth

From inception Pumpkin Patch has always sought to exceed their customers’ expectations – so it made perfect sense to seek out a delivery partner who shared that same business philosophy.

According to Neil Cowie, Pumpkin Patch CEO, a fast delivery is not only about providing a superb customer experience, it also aligns with online buying habits and expectations.

“ …This (sales) would be around 50% up on last year and we are putting in place strategies to drive strong growth again in 2013.”– Neil Cowie, Pumpkin Patch CEO

A seamless multi-channel customer experience – on-line to on-premise

Pumpkin Patch has a multi-channel sales strategy across its global markets, applying a combination of ‘bricks and mortar’, online, wholesale and franchise models depending on the local market environment. This means they have greater flexibility across the business to adjust the model for each market.

Of course a multi-channel strategy means that all parts of the channel must work seamlessly to deliver on the customer’s expectations. Online plays a critical part in this – especially with social media giving consumers the power to quickly feedback their own brand experience into the global social ecosystem.

As Pumpkin Patch has found, the positive outcome to a multi-channel strategy is that when these types of customers are satisfied they also tend to show greater loyalty and spend more with a brand.

“ It is extremely important that we meet and exceed customer’s expectations around delivery. More and more customers are becoming multichannel and they spend more money on average compared to a retail only shopper. ”– Neil Cowie, Pumpkin Patch CEO

What the customer wants, the customer gets

In today’s digital world more and more customers want to shop when and how it is convenient to them.

They are becoming more technologically savvy and want to use more ways to interact with and buy from a brand – from mobile commerce to social commerce. They expect the retailer to offer ease and convenience for them. With such a dramatic shift in consumer buying habits successful retailers now closely integrate online with a physical delivery promise.

Pumpkin Patch recognised that a world-class online business is absolutely critical to their future as a leading multi-channel childrenswear retailer. They also recognised that leveraging DHL as a reputable logistics partner enhances their customer service proposition and helps set them apart.

Their aim is simply to have product and customer service that is ahead of their competition. Delivery of that product to the customer through DHL is a critical part of that brand and service promise.

A stitch in time saves days

Every second counts for Pumpkin Patch, and partnering with DHL means deliveries to Australia are now achieved within 24-48 hours through some key initiatives:

• shipment labeling has been integrated with Pumpkin Patch’s order database
• shipments are pre-cleared through the automation of commercial invoices, which are transmitted to the DHL customs teams in New Zealand and Australia
• no paper commercial invoices are required
– saving time in hand processing
• pick-ups from Pumpkin Patch occur twice daily for nightly dispatch on the DHL dedicated freighter to Australia
• PO Box addressed shipments are processed via the Express Parcel service through Australia Post
• An “Authority to Leave” process with strict guidelines has been established where a customer is not present.

It all adds up to a delivery promise Pumpkin Patch can rely on.