Elite Eleven's Remarkable Shift: How Integrated Retail Systems Fuel Growth in the Apparel Industry.

Table of Contents

1. Key Highlights:
2. Introduction:
3. The Challenge: Disconnected Data and Fragmented Retail
4. The Solution: A Unified Platform for Complete Visibility
5. Real World Application: Driving Omnichannel Customer Engagement
6. The Outcome: Expanded Retail Footprint and Continued Growth
7. Future Planning: Strategic Expansion and Adaptation

Key Highlights:

• Elite Eleven, an Australian sportswear brand, transitioned from a disconnected retail system to Shopify POS, resulting in outstanding growth figures.
• The brand experienced an 82% year-over-year total revenue growth and notable increases in both online (50%) and retail POS sales (240%).
• A unified commerce strategy allowed Elite Eleven to engage customers seamlessly across online and offline platforms, enhancing their omnichannel strategy.

Introduction:

In the competitive landscape of the apparel industry, brands must navigate complex challenges to maintain market relevance. Elite Eleven, a sportswear brand founded in 2014 in Melbourne, Australia, has made significant strides by integrating both their online and brick-and-mortar operations into a streamlined retail experience. Founded by Benn Martiniello and Lisandro Paz, the brand celebrates the intersection of fitness and fashion. As the retailer expanded from a wholesale operation into a direct-to-consumer model, it faced challenges typical of growing businesses: maintaining a unified view of customer data and inventory across multiple sales channels. Significantly, Elite Eleven’s shift to integrated retail using Shopify POS showcases a beacon of how technology can catalyze growth and enhance customer engagement in the apparel sector.

The Challenge: Disconnected Data and Fragmented Retail

At the outset of their retail journey, Elite Eleven dipped their toes into brick-and-mortar sales through pop-up stores. These temporary setups allowed the brand to foster direct consumer engagement amidst COVID-19 restrictions. However, as they transitioned to a permanent retail structure post-lockdown, they quickly discovered that their existing point-of-sale (POS) system was inadequate. Without the capability to sync online sales data with in-store transactions, they were left with data silos that obscured important insights regarding their customer base and inventory.

Data fragmentation manifested in the brand having two separate customer databases, making it challenging to create a seamless customer experience. Without a unified view of customer interactions and preferences, targeted marketing strategies and personalized shopping experiences remained elusive. Furthermore, disparate inventory data led to difficulties in stock management, forcing the team to rely on guesswork for forecasting and inventory replenishment, ultimately affecting sales opportunities.

The Solution: A Unified Platform for Complete Visibility

Recognizing the urgent need for change, Elite Eleven partnered with agency Arkhi to implement a scalable solution that would better facilitate their retail growth goals. The transition to Shopify Plus in 2018 marked a pivotal turning point; however, the decision to integrate Shopify POS in October 2021 was where the brand truly found its footing. This POS system offered an integrated approach, allowing the seamless connection of online and offline data through a centralized dashboard.

With Shopify POS, Elite Eleven could gain complete visibility of customer interactions and inventory levels. The system's integration capabilities allowed the brand to synchronize with their third-party warehouse management solution, Peoplevox, ensuring accurate stock levels across all locations. This two-way communication not only enhanced inventory management but also opened new avenues for sales by utilizing an endless aisle functionality.

Real World Application: Driving Omnichannel Customer Engagement

The integration of Shopify’s technology empowered Elite Eleven to engage effectively with their customers across various platforms. Utilizing data from both their online and offline channels, Elite Eleven enhanced their omnichannel strategies, enabling the delivery of personalized marketing communications. By leveraging third-party applications such as Klaviyo for email marketing and Yotpo for customer feedback, Elite Eleven was able to initiate timely interventions, such as cart abandonment notifications, ultimately nurturing the customer journey.

The results were striking; within the first year of implementing Shopify POS, the brand witnessed overall sales revenue swell by 200%. Both retail and online sales channels flourished, illustrated by a remarkable 240% year-over-year increase in retail POS transaction sales and a 50% upswing in online revenue.

The Outcome: Expanded Retail Footprint and Continued Growth

As a result of their strategic pivots, Elite Eleven emerged as a leading example of success in integrating retail operations. The year 2023 continued to demonstrate their formidable growth trajectory, with total revenue increasing by 82% compared to the previous year—a testament to the viability of their omnichannel strategy.

Shopify POS also enabled the brand to introduce an 'endless aisle' shopping experience, facilitating over 30 ship-to-customer orders daily. This feature allowed customers to purchase items not physically available in stores while enhancing the revenue streams of the brand by capturing sales that may have otherwise been lost.

Refining inventory processes, improving customer engagement, and optimizing sales strategies are all crucial elements of their retail proposition. Elite Eleven's digital transformation has been bolstered by robust growth metrics, establishing a solid foundation for its ongoing expansion—six stores have already launched since 2021, with more planned in the near future.

Looking ahead, Elite Eleven is set to incorporate Shopify’s new POS Go hardware, which will further streamline transactions by allowing payment processing directly on the shop floor. The adaptability and responsiveness demonstrated in their retail strategy are crucial as they continue to navigate the pressures of a competitive market and evolving consumer expectations.

Future Planning: Strategic Expansion and Adaptation

With growth comes the inherent demand to evolve strategically, and Elite Eleven is not one to shy away from the challenges that lie ahead. Their journey illustrates how critical it is for retailers to continually reassess their operational strategies to better serve customers across multiple touchpoints. By leaning into innovation and leveraging technology, Elite Eleven's leadership has laid the groundwork for sustained success as they explore new avenues to enhance their retail experience.

One of the key ingredients to their ongoing success is the brand's commitment to listening and adapting to their customers' preferences. Collecting and analyzing customer feedback has become a vital part of their strategy, helping them to refine their offerings and strengthen brand loyalty. The integration of data across the Shopify ecosystem allows for precise targeting of promotions, enhancing the effectiveness of marketing efforts.

FAQ

What is Elite Eleven?
Elite Eleven is an Australian sportswear brand that specializes in the creation of innovative athletic apparel and lifestyle products. Founded in 2014, the brand has established a strong presence in both online and retail markets.

What challenges did Elite Eleven face before using Shopify POS?
Before implementing Shopify POS, Elite Eleven struggled with disconnected data systems. They operated with separate customer databases and inventory management tools, making it difficult to gain comprehensive visibility into operations and customer behavior.

How did Shopify POS help Elite Eleven grow?
Shopify POS provided Elite Eleven with an integrated platform that allowed them to unify online and offline data. This improved their inventory management, enabled omnichannel customer engagement, and contributed to significant revenue growth across both sales channels.

What growth metrics has Elite Eleven achieved since integrating Shopify POS?
Since the implementation of Shopify POS, Elite Eleven has recorded an 82% year-over-year total revenue growth, a 240% increase in retail POS sales, and a 50% growth in online sales.

What features does Shopify POS offer to improve retail operations?
Shopify POS provides features such as inventory synchronization, customer data integration, and endless aisle functionality, enabling retailers to offer products not physically in-store while improving overall customer experience and operational efficiency.

What are Elite Eleven's future plans for expansion?
Elite Eleven plans to continue growing its retail presence, with six new stores opened since 2021 and the introduction of Shopify’s POS Go hardware in the pipeline to further enhance the customer experience.