MS. READ has championed plus-size fashion in Malaysia since 1997. Having built up a loyal customer base with a preference for in-store shopping, the clothing brand had historically focused on its brick-and-mortar experience. But that all changed when the pandemic hit and MS. READ seized the opportunity to transform its traditional retail approach. The brand, working with Meekco Asia, Shopify Plus Partner specializing in cross-border ecommerce activation, dialed up its omnichannel focus and cross-border expansion with a digital-first strategy.
Since moving to Shopify Plus, MS. READ has seen:
- 300% increase in efficiency, in terms of time and resources saved, while launching cross-border stores
- 20% rise in online revenue
- Cross-border store launch time cut from months to 24 hours
Challenge
In the wake of the pandemic, MS. READ recognized the need for an omnichannel retail and marketing strategy. But there was a clear disconnect between offline and online systems. Customer data was scattered across disparate platforms, challenging the brand's reporting abilities, whilst the loyalty program had been designed in 2007, with the in-store retail experience in mind.
Another pressing agenda for MS. READ was cross-border expansion. But as the brand mainly thought along the lines of a conventional set up, the costs and resources needed to expand were always daunting. MS. READ needed a platform to help it accelerate its speed to launch in new markets.
Solution
On the advice of trusted partner Meekco Asia, MS. READ upgraded from Shopify to Shopify Plus in 2022. With the switch, MS. READ was able to centralize control of all systems; the enhanced visibility across channels empowered it to optimize its omnichannel operations.
App integrations like Klaviyo and Report Pundit allowed the marketing team to streamline the process of data gathering and reporting, further enabling it to make strategic marketing decisions powered by customer insights.
With Shopify POS, MS. READ transformed its approach to cross-border expansion. Contrary to the traditional route of sourcing and setting up a local POS system, which would take months and require considerable investment, the brand was able to set up an online store within a day.
Another notable feature that came with Shopify Plus was Launchpad; by employing this tool, MS. READ was able to schedule the seamless launch of products and sales. From 2023 onwards, the brand plans to roll out all new launches with this feature.
Results
Shopify Plus empowered MS. READ in its transformation journey, making the process easy with significant financial and growth gains. The platform allowed operations to be streamlined so that previously disparate systems could now be connected and a seamless omnichannel experience could be created. With these enhancements, MS. READ achieved a 20% growth in online revenue.
By using Shopify POS, MS. READ was able to set up its first cross-border online store in Indonesia within 24 hours. The total efficiency increase the brand witnessed, in terms of time and resources saved, was an astounding 300%.
Cross-border expansion had been on our books for a long time but Shopify Plus helped put it in motion. What would have otherwise been a month-long process, that required a developer and an account team, was done instead with one or two people and within 24 hours. Our story is testament to the fact that with the right platform, the barrier between online and offline can easily be broken down.
