Digital Commerce 360: Q&A: How Hibbett is approaching its new ecommerce site and omnichannel strategy

Read the original article in Digital Commerce 360 here.

Hibbett's vice president of digital operations discussed the retailer's ecommerce priorities, as well as its omnichannel strengths.

When Hibbett decided to launch a dedicated ecommerce site for kids’ products in June, the sports equipment and apparel retailer saw an opportunity to better reach an underserved market segment.

The move represented more than just splitting off products. It was about creating a targeted experience for both parents and young, increasingly brand-savvy consumers.

Kris Mack, vice president of digital operations at Hibbett, fielded questions from Digital Commerce 360 about the retailer’s new site. Its launch came as Hibbett extended its contract with Digital Wave Technology to use the vendor’s Product Experience Management (PXM) solution. In addition, she shared insights into how the kids’ site launch has performed — particularly during the crucial back-to-school shopping season — and how the company’s long-standing omnichannel approach continues to drive conversion.

Hibbett is owned by the UK-based sportswear giant JD Sports, which ranks No. 22 in Digital Commerce 360’s Europe Database. Hibbett is No. 294 in the Top 2000. That database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest North American online retailers. There, it falls under the Sporting Goods category.

Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How Hibbett approaches the market for kids through ecommerce

Digital Commerce 360: From a big-picture perspective, what did splitting off the new site for kids’ products enable Hibbett to do?

Kris Mack: There is a large kids market that seems to be underserved from digital. Based on our market research, we decided to split off the assortment and create something specifically targeting moms and the kids themselves.

Demographically, we are targeting more the moms, but we’ve created a kids site that has the full assortment — Nike, Adidas and all the big names that kids want.

DC360: What were your expectations for the kids’ site, and what have you seen during this year’s back-to-school shopping season?

KM: It’s definitely picked up. We’ve seen a lot of interest in the backpacks and the shoes. It amazes me how much grade-school kids care about their shoes — it makes it easier for them to pick out shoes, whether it’s running or basketball styles.

We’re looking at these kids, and they’re very savvy about the brands they want. They know exactly what they’re looking for. Kids are the original influencers, aren’t they?

Hibbett’s ecommerce and promotional strategy

DC360: Did you benefit from launching the new site ahead of Prime Day, and did you run any promotions during July 8-11?

KM: We ran promotions — it would be silly not to — but Prime Day wasn’t a major consideration in our timing. We typically run [about 15%] off order-wide promotions, and we tier it with free shipping for our VIP loyalty members.

[Editor’s note: Hibbett has an MVP rewards program, but the most loyal customers are categorized as VIP. Mack says there are millions of customers in their MVP program.]

These are our best customers. We launched omnichannel back in 2017, before people really understood what it was. Our stores fulfilled the bulk of orders, we provided multiple fulfillment methods, online returns in stores, customers earn points that are shared across channels, and loyalty rewards work for orders in both channels. We’ve always been omnichannel — we embraced it early.

What drives conversion for Hibbett

DC360: What do you see being most effective in driving conversions on your site right now? Are customers discount-driven, or is it shipping options, payment options, or omnichannel features like buy online, pick up in store?

[Mack noted that 15% of Hibbett’s business comes from buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS).]

KM: Customers are very promotional, but you don’t want to train customers to always expect promotions. We focus on curating our assortment.

Our buy online, pick up in store feature, which we launched in 2018, has seen very good adoption. People use it, particularly around the holiday period. Customers can buy online and pick it up the same day, which is very useful. We’ve seen a high adoption rate for it.

Partnership approach

DC360: How do you approach partnerships and vendor relationships — such as your recently announced partnership extension with Digital Wave — to support your digital growth?

KM: We look at our partners and seek out those who have the same values as us. We want to know how they’re going to help us grow. It’s become a lot more collaborative. We work with great people who understand the business and are very responsive. They’re constantly innovating, which is exactly what we need.