An omnichannel outdoor gear and apparel retailer is continuing its entry into brick-and-mortar with a mobile-enabled POS solution that enhances in-store customer service.
Backcountry, which sold outdoor gear and apparel through several specialized e-commerce sites for 25 years as an online-only retailer, opened two brick-and-mortar stores in 2021, with plans to quickly expand across the U.S. The retailer intends for each physical store to double as a shopping destination and gathering space for outdoor enthusiasts.
Backcountry is supporting the expansion of its store footprint by migrating from an in-house-developed POS system to the Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service solution at its three stores in Utah and Colorado, starting in the second quarter of 2022.
The POS rollout will carry over into future store openings as Backcountry continues to expand its brick-and-mortar footprint. By adopting Xstore, Backcountry intends for its customer service team of outdoor experts, known as “Gearheads,” to gain the flexibility to move about the store and guide customers through its product assortment. In addition, Gearheads will have mobile access to inventory and customer information in an effort to enable them to provide better, faster service.
As Backcountry’s store expansion continues evolving, the retailer intends to leverage the Xstore platform to quickly accommodate new features, such as buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS) and an “endless aisle” shopping experience that provides in-store shoppers access to online inventory.
“Our mission is to get people outside and to connect them to their passions. Forming friendships and sharing adventures with fellow outdoor enthusiasts in our stores was a natural progression of our brand DNA,” said Chris Purkey, senior VP of retail at Backcountry. “Oracle Retail will provide the scalability we need to support our growing business, wide assortment of inventory, and extensive services. With the new mobile systems, our associates will be able to deliver a personal touch only our team can offer.”
“Backcountry shoppers are adventure seekers, and the brand is dedicated to supporting them both inside and outside the store,” said Mike Webster, senior VP and GM of Oracle Retail. “With Xstore, the Backcountry team will be able to freely move to provide that personalized insight and advice the brand is revered for.”
Backcountry is preparing to deploy Oracle Xstore Point-of-Service following the implementation of the First Insight consumer-driven Experience Management (XM) platform to make faster and better merchandising decisions. As a result, the company intends to drive sales and margin gains for products from its owned Backcountry Gear & Apparel and Stoic brands, as well as its assortment of national brand products.
Backcountry selected the XM platform because of its ability to deliver actionable insights across a variety of functions, like product design and selection, pricing, white space analysis, brand value assessment, and consumer segmentation and targeting. The retailer also obtains measurable ROI metrics through the platform’s proprietary value tracking capability.
Founded in the Park City, Utah area in 1996, Backcountry is an omnichannel retailer of premium outdoor gear and apparel for skiing, snowboarding, biking, climbing, fly fishing, hiking, and camping. The Backcountry family of companies includes Competitive Cyclist, MotoSport.com, Steep&Cheap, and Germany-based Bergfreunde.de. The company performs rapid fulfillment out of two warehouse hubs.
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