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Enzo’s Market, a neighborhood-influenced grocery store and cafe in Chattanooga, Tennessee, faced the challenge of encouraging customers to explore their unique, local, and organic goods. Despite being a beloved local business, the store needed to attract more people, particularly from its primary demographic of young, savvy adults. The owners were hesitant to spend money on social media advertising, which was a common method of reaching out to potential customers. However, they realized the need to increase awareness and visitors from the neighborhood. The biggest challenge was to find an effective advertising method that would not only attract more customers but also provide a good return on investment.

Mable’s Smokehouse, a family-run business in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is known for its authentic Texas-style BBQ. Despite having a strong reputation and a loyal customer base, the business faced the challenge of expanding its reach within the local community. The traditional word-of-mouth method was not sufficient to attract new customers. The owners, Meghan Love and Jeff Lutonsky, were initially skeptical about digital advertising. They had been approached by numerous advertising platforms but were unsure about the effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of these digital marketing strategies.

PYT, a popular burger spot in Philadelphia, was facing challenges in growing and expanding their business. Despite having a unique and adventurous burger menu that attracted both locals and tourists, the restaurant was struggling to reach a wider audience and increase its customer base. The owner, Tommy Up, had tried conventional advertising methods such as featuring PYT in student campus coupon guides and food magazines. However, these methods were not yielding the desired results. The restaurant had a strong base of loyal customers, many of whom were regular users of Foursquare, a local search-and-discovery mobile app. Tommy Up recognized the potential of leveraging this platform to promote real customer tips and attract more customers.

In 2020, American Eagle began expanding options for customers to pick up orders in-store and at curbside. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company aimed to provide a seamless shopping experience for both in-store and buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS) customers. However, the original solution for order pickups fell short of American Eagle’s standards for customer experience and posed several operational challenges. Customers had difficulty finding the curbside pickup locations and complained about long wait times. Staff were unaware of when customers were arriving and unable to prioritize orders based on pickup times. Store associates struggled to locate customers in parking lots using only the customer’s initial description of their parked location – a challenge exacerbated for American Eagle, as many of their locations are in malls and shopping centers. American Eagle realized they needed to find a more efficient way for their store associates to fulfill curbside pickup orders and promote safety for customers who chose to come into the store, and they needed to solve this problem fast.

Cars.com, a leading digital automotive marketplace, faced a significant challenge in managing large amounts of dealership location information. This data was crucial for powering and reporting on the digital experiences that connect car shoppers with sellers. The company's data, operations, and product teams needed to efficiently handle this information to ensure meaningful interactions across the buying journey. The legacy systems in place were not sufficient to meet these needs, necessitating a more comprehensive solution for location data management and reporting.

Since its launch in 2012, the Drybar brand has revolutionized the haircare industry with its unique blowout-only, brick-and-mortar business model. The brand has gained exceptional recognition, largely due to its highly loyal customer base. By understanding the location of their clients, the brand can anticipate client needs, deliver personalized experiences, and strengthen client relationships over time. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, driving appointment bookings in areas that were open and safe became a critical challenge. With over 70% of bookings already coming directly from the app, the Drybar team saw an opportunity to enhance and optimize the client app experience to secure more appointments and increase revenue.

Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., the owner and operator of the restaurant brand Pollo Tropical, faced significant operational challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a shift in customer ordering behaviors, the company needed to adapt to provide safe, convenient, and seamless ordering experiences that maintained their reputation for quality service and freshness. In response, Pollo Tropical quickly implemented a Curbside Pick-up service for their mobile users. However, the initial solution had many gaps that led to poor customer experiences and operational difficulties for restaurant teams. The lack of visibility into the customer’s Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) made it difficult for restaurant teams to effectively prioritize order preparation between various order modes such as in-store, curbside, and delivery. This often resulted in longer customer wait times and compromised food freshness. Customers were also often unsure of whether they needed to call the restaurant, engage with the app, or park in a designated area. The Fiesta team was under pressure to launch an enhanced curbside experience as quickly as possible.

RetailMeNot, a leading savings destination, aims to influence purchase decisions by offering savings and deals. The company's mission is to help people save money and live more affordably. To achieve this, RetailMeNot needed an accurate location solution that would help consumers find nearby deals from their favorite places, providing savings when they need them most. The challenge was to find a solution that could seamlessly integrate into their growth stack and provide real-time, location-based offers to users, thereby driving footfall to their retail partners.

Raise, a leading mobile payments company, launched the Slide mobile app to provide better savings opportunities for shoppers. The app offers 4% cash back instantly for in-store and online purchases at over 150 partner locations. The challenge was to make it easy for users to identify nearby partner locations, receive cash back reminders as they shop, and identify the correct barcode when they reach checkout. To achieve this, Slide needed a comprehensive location infrastructure solution for their mobile payments app. The solution needed to be robust, cost-effective, and capable of powering all of the app’s location-based experiences.

T-Mobile, a leading telecommunications company, has a customer appreciation program called T-Mobile Tuesdays, where they give away free stuff, great deals, and exclusive offers every week. Customers can access these offers through the T-Mobile Tuesdays app. Despite the program's success, with over 50 awards and savings of over $1B for customers, there were significant challenges. The primary issue was that customers complained about the unavailability of offers in their area. Before implementing a solution, T-Mobile could only do geo-targeting manually, which was an error-prone process and led to irrelevant offer curation. T-Mobile saw these challenges as opportunities to create more engaging, relevant experiences. They aimed to use location targeting to increase offer relevancy, which would lead to higher app engagement, customer satisfaction, and retention.

Aena, the world's largest airport management company, was faced with the challenge of improving navigation for passengers within its airports. The company wanted to enhance the overall passenger experience at all stages of their journey. The primary goal was to enable passengers to visualize their entire journey and locate key points of interest such as restaurants, shops, toilets, or security controls. Additionally, Aena wanted to provide passengers with an estimate of the time required to reach the boarding gate. This was a significant challenge considering the vast number of passengers, over 275 million, passing through its 46 Spanish airports and 23 airports in London-Luton and America annually.

The case study revolves around a private equity firm, American Securities, which was considering the acquisition of a retail chain. The primary question that needed to be answered before making the investment decision was whether the retail chain could continue to be profitable by building more stores. The firm was interested in two expansion strategies: whitespace, where the retail chain would expand into new markets where it didn't have a current brand presence, and In-Fill, where more stores would be created in the market that the retail chain was currently operating in. The challenge was to understand the potential profitability of these strategies in a short time frame, given the competitive and time-intensive nature of the bidding process. The firm also needed to understand the factors that could affect the performance of the stores, such as the impact of distance from the core market and other potential confounding factors.

Sagely Naturals, the largest female-founded CBD company in the US, was facing significant challenges due to its rapid growth. The company, which makes plant-based, CBD-infused products for whole self-wellness, was struggling with inventory and logistics management. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the company had multiple channels to market, including both small and big box retailers, and their own direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce store. Additionally, the CBD industry is regulated differently across various US states, adding another layer of complexity to their operations. Sagely Naturals also uses a third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse, which meant they did not have direct inventory control and needed a solution that could integrate seamlessly with their 3PL provider, their inventory management software, and their Shopify store.

Urth, a mission-driven camera and art accessories business, was facing significant operational challenges. Despite being a well-established ecommerce business, Urth was struggling with inventory management. They were using Magento, an ecommerce platform, for both ecommerce and inventory management. However, Magento was not designed to function as a full-fledged inventory management system. This issue was further complicated by the fact that Urth was running inventory out of Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA), and Magento and Amazon were not integrated. This led to several problems, including customers being able to place orders for items that were out of stock and limiting Urth's capacity for growth and expansion to new markets or sales channels. In 2020, Urth decided to move from Magento to Shopify and sought an inventory management system that integrated natively with Shopify and Amazon FBA.

Fire Department Coffee (FDC), a veteran-owned e-commerce coffee company, was facing challenges in managing its inventory as the business grew. The company, run by active and retired firefighters, ships coffee globally, necessitating a robust and efficient inventory system. The existing system was not equipped to handle the increasing complexity and scale of operations, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors in order fulfillment. The company needed a solution that could seamlessly integrate with their existing platforms like Shipstation, Shopify, and Faire, and help them manage their day-to-day warehouse tasks effectively.

Senior.com, a company focused on providing products and services for seniors aged 55 and older, faced significant challenges in managing their inventory as they transitioned to eCommerce in 2016. Initially, the company managed its inventory through spreadsheets and manual counting. However, as the company grew, this method became increasingly inefficient and unable to keep up with the volume of inventory required to run the company effectively. The company started with a few suppliers and SKUs, but quickly expanded, making the spreadsheet method even more inadequate. Furthermore, the company discovered that they were being overbilled by suppliers, identifying nearly $50,000 worth of overbilled invoices.

Beachport Liquid Minerals, a manufacturer of liquid supplements for livestock, was facing significant challenges with their existing ERP inventory and manufacturing program. After using the system for nine months, it became clear that the software was not meeting their requirements. The software was rigid, the financial reporting was difficult to use, and the ongoing costs of the software and user support were becoming a burden. The business needed a solution that would be less time-consuming, more user-friendly, and cost-effective to implement and maintain.

Coastmac Trailers, a reputable trailer manufacturer with 17 years of experience, faced significant business challenges that hindered its growth potential. The company was struggling with outdated systems that limited productivity, operational efficiency, and scalability. Additionally, Coastmac had issues with inventory control, leading to stock management problems and potential customer dissatisfaction. The company's accounting system provider was also demanding a hefty sum for an upgraded solution. To address these challenges and meet its business needs, Coastmac needed modern, integrated systems to streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and provide real-time visibility into inventory, production, sales, and finances.

Dingo Australia, a leading manufacturer and supplier of unique earthmoving machines and attachments, faced a significant challenge in managing its inventory, warehouse distribution, and manufacturing processes. As a company that operates not only as a manufacturer but also as a distributor of whole goods and spare parts across multiple branches in Australia, it was crucial for them to find a solution that could integrate all these components into a single, user-friendly system. Additionally, they needed a cost-effective financial package to replace their existing software, which also contained their financial requirements. The new financial system had to be user-friendly and capable of meeting their specific needs.

Durmaz Pty Ltd, a specialist Importing and Wholesale entity, was facing significant challenges with its inventory and warehouse management. Despite using Reckon Accounts, a powerful accounting tool, the company found it insufficient for their rapidly expanding business. The lack of a dedicated inventory software solution was hampering their supply chain process and reducing the service levels they could provide their customers. This inefficiency was leading to large costs for Durmaz, as it was unable to keep up with the ever-changing consumer trends and styles. The company needed a solution that could streamline its inventory management, improve service levels, and reduce costs.

Enzed Albury, a franchise for Parker Hannifin (Australia) Pty Ltd, has been in business for 30 years, providing 24/7 hydraulic hose replacement, supplying hydraulic and pneumatic components, and offering repairs and component testing. However, their business was heavily reliant on an outdated DOS system for managing their stock, debtors, and creditors. This posed a significant business risk as it was becoming increasingly difficult to find an IT team capable of maintaining the system. Additionally, the accounting team had to manually input transactions into Reckon Accounts, leading to potential inaccuracies and unreliable reporting. The need for a system change was urgent, considering the company had 17,000 parts, 400 suppliers, and 3000 customers on file, and the risk to this data was substantial.

Everten Group, a family-owned kitchenware shop in Australia, was facing challenges in managing its warehouse operations. As one of Australia's first online kitchenware retailers, Everten had to ensure seamless order fulfillment both nationally and internationally. The company had a wide range of products to cater to commercial, professional chefs, and home cooks. The Everten Group also housed several businesses that relied heavily on efficient warehouse management for online order fulfillment. The challenge was to manage purchasing, stock management, and sales order processing effectively for all these businesses. The company needed a solution that could serve as a central nervous system, managing orders from their websites and integrating them into their shipping software.

Green Beacon Brewing, a Queensland brewery and Brewpub, was facing significant challenges in managing its production, inventory, sales, and distribution across two manufacturing sites in Brisbane. The company was unable to accurately track its raw materials, leading to frequent over-ordering. The locations of finished goods were not clearly identified, and the costing of inventory was largely based on guesswork. Furthermore, distribution was a manual process heavily reliant on paper trails, making it inefficient and prone to errors. The company was in dire need of an inventory system that could address these issues and streamline its operations.

Husk Distillers, a family-owned distillery in Northern NSW, Australia, was facing significant challenges in managing their stock. As the creators of Australia’s only Agricole rum and the internationally renowned Ink Gin, the company was experiencing rapid growth. However, their existing systems, which relied heavily on spreadsheets and their accounting system, were proving inadequate for their needs. The lack of usability and accuracy in their stock management was a major issue, potentially hindering their growth and brand development. They needed a solution that could not only address these issues but also support their business at every stage of growth.

Pics Peanut Butter, a New Zealand-based company that manufactures and sells peanut butter globally, was facing significant challenges in managing its inventory. The company imports peanuts primarily from Australia and caters to both local and international markets. The existing inventory management system was heavily reliant on multiple Excel spreadsheets, which made it difficult to manage inventory across various locations. This system required a lot of manual entry, leading to countless hours spent on rectifying errors and making corrections. The company also lacked a robust purchase order system and controls around cost.

Victory Parts, a rapidly expanding company supplying aftermarket outboard parts within Australia, was facing significant challenges with their inventory and accounting system, MYOB. The system was slow and lacked the necessary reporting capabilities for a company dealing with over 5500 different parts. The process of reordering and outputting these parts was cumbersome and inefficient. Additionally, tracking orders was a manual and time-consuming process, involving writing tracking numbers in an exercise book and constantly chasing parcel locations for customers. The company also relied heavily on their EFT machine for transactions, which required manual input of numbers, waiting for processing, and printing receipts to attach to sales orders. This process was not only slow, taking between 5-10 minutes per transaction, but also inconvenient for customers who had to wait for their receipt and tracking number.

YV Packaging, a national fruit and produce packaging business based in Yarra Valley, was facing significant challenges with its inventory management. The company was using Reckon Accounts, an accounting software, which was not specifically designed to handle inventory. As a result, the company had to rely heavily on manual stock counting. Glenn Barker, the Managing Director, noticed large discrepancies between the latest count and previous ones, which were attributed to human error. This was a significant issue for the company as it affected the accuracy of their inventory data and could potentially impact their ability to fulfill orders.

In 2011 and 2012, Google released the Panda and Penguin algorithm updates respectively, aimed at reducing low-quality content and spamming in search results. These updates have been maintained over the years, causing some eCommerce sites to face issues. One such site was 1800Doorbell.com, a unique and innovative doorbell and home accessories seller. The site was hit by both Google’s Panda and Penguin algorithm updates, causing organic traffic to drop by two-thirds. Additionally, a new site launched in 2013 was built in a way that made it susceptible to Google’s Panda algorithm, as the number of indexed pages increased dramatically. A content audit revealed multiple issues including duplicate and thin content, indexation bloat, and a large number of links from low-quality sites due to shortcuts taken by a previous agency when building the site’s backlink profile.

Asphalt Kingdom and Candy Direct, two eCommerce brands, were struggling to increase their online visibility and engagement. Asphalt Kingdom, a leading provider of asphalt and asphalt-related products, was not receiving the traffic or the quality and quantity of backlinks necessary to rank well in search results. They needed strong, natural links back to their site to boost overall SEO health and, ultimately, revenue. Candy Direct, an eCommerce site selling bulk vintage/nostalgic candy, had no content on their blog and needed to increase brand awareness as a go-to source for bulk candy. They aimed to create a rich and interesting library of blog content for potential customers.

CB World and Auto Body Toolmart, two online retailers, were facing challenges with their website content. CB World had a neglected and unnecessary blog that was doing more harm than good. The blog was not providing value to the readers and was unlikely to improve without additional resources. Auto Body Toolmart, on the other hand, had seen a sharp decline in revenue and organic traffic over the summer of 2015. A content audit revealed that thousands of pages had not driven any organic traffic Year to Date (YTD) by the end of September 2015. This was a classic case of thin content and index bloat. Both companies needed a solution to improve their website performance and increase organic traffic and revenue.