The retail industry has significantly transformed since the arrival of new digital technologies. The number of communication and sales channels has increased at a high rate, and as a result, consumers are changing the way they make purchase decisions. They are as likely to shop online as they are to shop in-store. When they shop in person, they use their mobile devices to check trend and style information, compare prices, and share photos and opinions on their social networks. Although they shop on multiple channels, they expect highly personalized service on all of them. The customer decision journey has become cross-channel, and demands business integration to support it. Salesforce is helping innovative companies like ALDO lead the way to the future of retail.

“If you want to succeed in this new era, you will need to put customers at the center of everything you do,” says Todd Dean, Vice President, Cross-Channel and eCommerce. “The Salesforce customer platform is helping us build relationships with customers on every channel.”

In addition to engaging customers, ALDO is building apps on the Salesforce Platform to streamline operations and save costs. Because its business is highly seasonal, and merchandise turnaround is quick, tight management of inventory can have a big effect on the bottom line. ALDO’s “Fix my Mix” app will help stores find shoes from other stores, avoiding a long and costly process at the distribution center, and getting them quickly into the hands of customers.

“It’s not just about staying a step ahead of competitors,” says Dean. “Salesforce is helping us transform our business so we can do more for our customer.”