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~ ESW ~

KEEPING THE

CUSTOMER

SATISFIED

IN A TIME OF CRISIS

Text: Jonathan Sheard, Vice President, Sales at ESW UK // Photos: ESW

In an increasingly competitive retail environment, giving the customer
a great cross-border experience is more important than ever. The
winning formula comprises big thinking as well as sweating the small
stuff, says Jonathan Sheard, Vice President, Sales at ESW UK.

n a time of crisis when costs are under pressure, a holistic view of international
it is normal to want to retrench and think closer operations and not simply
Ito home, focusing on bottom-line savings cut and shut locally, a move
rather than top-line growth. Some companies will that can result in a negative JONATHAN SHEARD
hunker down everywhere until the storm has passed, experience for consumers now VICE PRESIDENT, SALES AT ESW UK
accepting what they hope will be a short-term hit. that so many more shop across
borders. It may also affect the experience they have of a
This time around, the hit in quite a few territories is brand across other channels they shop on and offline.
clearly going to hurt for longer, particularly as the impact
of higher interest rates feeds through to consumers whose Holding the line internationally in a time of crisis does
fixed mortgage rates come to an end and as prices for so require strong nerves, with a focus not just on achieving
many basics continue to rise. It’s a gloomy prospect, but top-line growth but on maintaining highly efficient
retailers and brands have sales, marketing and
always demonstrated “IT IS NORMAL TO WANT TO fulfilment channels that, if
greater agility than other implemented correctly, will
industries, and there is a RETRENCH AND THINK CLOSER TO help to contain costs over
way ahead. time. The user experience
HOME, FOCUSING ON BOTTOM- can be difficult enough to
The solution depends do well domestically, but it
LINE SAVINGS RATHER THAN
on having the right becomes more challenging
blend of expertise, the because of in-market
TOP-LINE GROWTH”
organisational structure nuances and vagaries when
that enables collaboration selling cross-border.
across teams and the right
tech to support them. This enables the organisation to take In addition, because trust is an important element in the

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