Indigo's Data-Driven Approach to Enhance Customer Delivery Experiences

Indigo, a Canadian retail company, faced a significant challenge in mid-2019 when it diversified its delivery network from a single nationwide carrier to an array of both national and regional options. This expansion from one to eight carriers meant that delivery data would now arrive from eight different sources, requiring substantial resources to track. Simultaneously, Indigo aimed to improve the customer experience surrounding order delivery, as research indicated that more than two-thirds of shoppers won't return to a retailer after a bad delivery experience. When they used only a single delivery carrier, Indigo received ‘after the fact’ reporting letting them know a package was delivered, but no indication when a package was stalled or delayed along the way. As Indigo expanded its network of parcel delivery carriers, it became increasingly challenging to get a timely, centralized view of delivery performance and issues across the country at any time, and difficult to establish procedures to proactively address them before a customer called to report an issue.

Indigo is a Canadian retail company founded in 1996 by book lovers, for book lovers. It is a cultural department store that aims to consistently provide inspiring, richly stocked, and inviting retail environments. At nearly 200 store locations and on its popular website, Indigo serves as a meeting place inspired by and filled with books, music, art, ideas, and beautifully designed lifestyle products. Throughout its evolution, Indigo has put the customer first, focusing decisions from product selection to customer service on whether they will add joy to the customer experience.