Case Study: IBM Helps Lindt With Personalization

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In an effort to engage and delight its customers in every way possible, Lindt Master Chocolatier launched a new cloud-based ecommerce site in early 2013, by partnering with IBM and IBM  Premier Business Partner CrossView, according to a case study provided by IBM.

The new ecommerce  site was built on IBM’s WebSphere Commerce Platform and CrossView’s Aurora Plus Commerce on Cloud offering, according to the case study.  It is a quick-deploy solution that unites commerce technology, implementation expertise, retail and digital best practices along with hosting and managed services.

Lindt has had an ecommerce presence since 2002 and it sought to leverage technology in new ways to create a more personalized connection with its customers, according to the case study.  Customers gain better access to Lindt confections outside of specialty stores and outlets.

Thomas Linemayr, president and CEO of Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) said the experience of the new ecommerce site is similar to browsing in a department store featuring all things chocolate, according to the case study.

This includes a portfolio of 600 SKUs of any size, shape and type of chocolate including a wide assortment of the LINDOR truffle, according to the case study.

With the IBM WebSphere Commerce platform, Lindt can quickly build and execute highly personalized seasonal promotions around the holidays, according to the case study.  Through microsites,  Lindt can launch holiday-based promotions and campaigns that sell highly targeted offerings.

Lindt will also be able to scale capacity up and down as the demand increases each holiday because the solution is cloud-based, according to the case study.

In addition to personalized promotions, Lindt can now use its ecommerce site  to offer a custom range of products. Shoppers will be able to mix and match products to build customized gifts – choosing quantity, type of chocolate, packaging and messaging, according to the case study.

The new ecommerce site has taken Lindt’s online sales to new heights, the new site has doubled its conversion rates and tripled its revenue on mobile devices, according to a case study. Black Friday saw a conversion rate of 200%, while Cyber Monday sales were more than double that of any other single day of online sales.

Lindt also looks for new ways to engage and delight online chocolate lovers with social initiatives, product and category innovations and ways to personalize each experience, according to the case study.