Alton Lane Brings Innovation To Omni-Channel

By Erin Harris, Editor-In-Chief, Cell & Gene
Follow Me On Twitter @ErinHarris_1

September 2015 Innovative Retail Technologies

Tailored apparel retailer Alton Lane combines classic, oldschool, high-touch retailing with innovative technologies and practices to deliver a next-gen, omni-channel customer experience that yields a 96% conversion rate.

As the old saying goes, clothes make the man. For men who purchase their custom-tailored suits, cashmere sweaters, denim, and more from Alton Lane, that statement is undoubtedly true. But what makes Alton Lane a specialty retailer stand-out isn’t just its high-quality apparel; it’s the company’s unwavering commitment to omni-channel retailing and an exceptional, modern shopping experience that strives to surprise and delight its customers with every visit and every click. Here’s what happened when Alton Lane replaced its clunky, disparate systems with a cloud-based single, unified platform to enable end-to-end business efficiency and customer-centric operations.

Alton Lane’s cofounder, Peyton Jenkins, and CEO, Colin Hunter, explain that the retailer’s mission is not only to make shopping easier but also to completely redefine what shopping means for men. “Most men do not like to shop,” says Hunter. “And, so, we create — and implement — fresh, new ways to make their shopping experiences fun and enjoyable. Each of our seven brick-and-mortar locations has fully stocked bars, flat screen TVs, and bookshelves that open to reveal secret, private poker rooms — it’s a very cool, inviting place for men to shop,” explains Hunter.

A New Take On Mobile
In addition to brick-and-mortar, the omni-channel retailer operates e-commerce and mobile — mobile as in a 31’ aluminum, vintage Airstream travel trailer that has been restored and transformed into a fully functional showroom complete with POS capabilities. “We travel from business to business, city to city, law school to law school, business school to business school, to undergraduate campuses, to country clubs, and we hold private events — all in an effort to exceed their expectations,” states Hunter. “Our value proposition is equal part surprise and delight as well as reflecting our commitment to omni-channel as the future of retail.”

Tech + Back-To-Basics = Innovative Retailing
It’s clear that Alton Lane has its finger on the pulse of the personalized customer experience. Yet, Alton Lane, like most retailers today, rakes in a tremendous amount of data — data that when not analyzed and aggregated properly practically prohibits business efficiency. The amount of customer data alone that Alton Lane captures and stores is astounding. Associates chronicle exact personal preferences and body measurements, which are kept on omni-channel file for future appointments, regardless of how he chooses to shop the brand next. Also, associates use a custom-designed, noncustomer facing iPad interface that allows them to capture loyalty-building data, including favorite beverage, marital status, favorite sports team, etc. in the course of casual conversation during the hour-long private appointment.

Alton Lane’s aforementioned wins in omni-channel innovation didn’t come easily or without the need to overhaul its disjointed technology stack. Prior to the overhaul, the company struggled with disparate systems, and the lack of integration did not provide the anytime, anywhere visibility and access to critical data needed to drive the highly personalized experience that ultimately drives sales. Desk.com served as the email platform, which did not sync with the phone system. They lacked a true CRM system, and their ordering system did not integrate with their financial systems, including QuickBooks. “Our POS system synced with absolutely nothing,” says Jenkins. “Further, a defining moment for us was when we walked by customer service, and they had, I kid you not, 30 tabs open in their browser. While they were able to work amazingly quickly, we knew we had to find a better way.”

Hunter and Jenkins overhauled its disparate systems with NetSuite’s cloud-based single platform solution that allows Alton Lane to deliver a hyper-personalized customer experience. Indeed, NetSuite integrates CRM, financials, inventory, order management, and POS, providing Alton Lane a single version of the truth. “We used to have to download all the data from these different systems, put it into one Excel spreadsheet, and then run multiple reports to glean the information,” laments Hunter. “Now we obtain that information in about 20 seconds.”

Since Alton Lane’s inception, 96 percent of customers who show up for their appointments have made purchases. And e-commerce sales grew 160 percent last year. “We strive to maintain omni-channel nimbleness as one of our top core values,” says Jenkins. “We need partners that are committed to innovation and constant adaptation. NetSuite is that partner. We’re using incredibly forward-thinking systems in NetSuite to fuel what we think is just a return to the basics of how customers should be treated.”