Driving Digital Growth: A Grocery Giant's Journey with HCL Commerce
What we achieved
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Immediate
88.6% sales growth
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Seamless
scalability
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Instant
business value
To who
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Industry Retail
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Products: HCL Commerce
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Region APAC
Overview
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Part 1
Challenge
Originally a brick-and-mortar grocer, this prominent grocery store lacked an online channel and needed an intuitive, flexible e-commerce solution that could be managed by non-technical staff.
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Part 2
Solution
Leveraging HCL Commerce’s flexible framework and out-of-the-box features, they created a robust, user-friendly digital store with tailored customizations.
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Part 3
Results
Upon launching the new digital store, the grocer seamlessly transitioned from a pilot to a large-scale operation spanning 25 cities and experienced an immediate 88.6% sales growth, validating the platform's ability to drive instant business value.
The Challenge
For a beloved brick-and-mortar grocery company, entering the digital marketplace was a significant step. The goal was to extend its trusted brand into the online world without losing sight of its core business: serving customers. This is the story of how a leading grocery retailer established a thriving e-commerce channel from the ground up by leveraging the power and flexibility of HCL Commerce. By building its digital presence on a robust platform, the company seamlessly transitioned into an omnichannel powerhouse, achieving immediate results and setting the stage for future innovation.
Before launching its online operations, this retail grocer was exclusively a brick-and-mortar retailer. The primary challenge was creating a digital channel from scratch. As a grocery company, not a technology firm, the leadership team needed a solution that was intuitive, powerful, and easy for their business users to manage. They had no pre-existing e-commerce infrastructure, meaning the chosen platform would need to handle every aspect of the online customer experience.
They required a solution capable of supporting the unique complexities of the grocery business. This included managing a vast and ever-changing product catalog, running targeted promotions, and accommodating specific business rules for checkout and catalog browsing. The platform had to be flexible enough to adapt to their distinct operational needs while providing a stable, scalable foundation.
We want to chart our own path on the e‑commerce side of the business. We want to be relevant to consumers from a value standpoint, even if it is a bit inconvenient… We are clear that we want to be distinctly relevant, where we stand apart from the rest.
- CEO & MD
The Solution
This leading grocer chose to build its e-commerce foundation on HCL Commerce. The decision was driven by the platform's ease of use and its comprehensive feature set. The management console was highly praised during the evaluation process, as it empowered business users to manage the digital store effectively without deep technical expertise.
Over a journey spanning nearly a decade, they’ve utilized HCL Commerce from version 7.8 to 9.1. The implementation was a smooth process, aided by a strong technology partner, who assisted with customization, installation, and configuration. The platform’s flexible framework was a key advantage. It allowed them to blend a rich set of out-of-the-box features—such as the versatile catalog, store model, and promotions engine—with customizations tailored to their unique checkout and browsing rules. This hybrid approach enabled them to create a customer experience that was both powerful and perfectly aligned with their brand.
The Results
The impact of implementing HCL Commerce was immediate. From the day the new e-commerce site went live, orders began to come in. After an initial controlled user-group run to ensure stability and gather feedback, the site was opened to the public, and the business started to see immediate benefits from its new digital channel. Since beginning operations in early 2017, its revenue has grown at a staggering Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 88.6%. This massive growth reflects the transition from a small pilot in one city to a large-scale operation spanning 25 cities.
HCL Commerce has consistently met the company's expectations and served its purpose as the backbone of its online operations. The platform's reliability and robust architecture have provided a secure and scalable environment, allowing the grocer to focus on its business objectives. The success of the initial implementation has also reduced the need for extensive customization over time, allowing the team to align more business use cases directly with the platform's native capabilities.
Embracing the future
Looking toward the future, the grocery company is seeking to leverage deeper software capabilities to enhance the customer experience and drive business insights. Key areas of focus include evolving search functionalities to provide a more intuitive, modern experience for shoppers. Furthermore, they’re excited about the potential of AI to help its business users analyze the vast amount of data within its commerce database, enabling them to make quicker, data-driven decisions and uncover valuable insights. By partnering with us, this leading grocer is well-positioned to continue its evolution and meet the future needs of its customers in an increasingly digital economy.
About the company
This leading APAC grocery retailer built its reputation through trusted brick-and-mortar stores serving millions of customers. With a strong focus on value, operational excellence, and customer loyalty, the company set out to extend its brand into digital commerce to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.
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