Obs and Obs Bygg, leading names in Norway's retail scene, are renowned for their wide range of products and commitment to customer satisfaction. As they expanded online, recreating the in-store experience became essential. By integrating offline data, they've personalized the online shopping journey, seamlessly blending digital and physical retail and achieving impressive outcomes.
Obs and Obs Bygg are prominent retail chains and part of Coop Norway, a cooperative retail company.
Obs is your go-to hypermarket, providing everything from fresh groceries and electronics to clothing, all under one roof. It’s designed to make your shopping trips quick, easy, and enjoyable. Obs Bygg, on the other hand, is your trusted partner for all things home improvement, offering building materials and tools for both DIY projects and professional renovations.
Both chains prioritize value, quality, and customer service, reflecting Coop Norway’s commitment to reinvesting profits for member benefits and community engagement. Together, they ensure reliable and comprehensive retail solutions for Norwegian consumers.
Øyvind Moen, eCommerce Product Manager at Coop
As Obs and Obs Bygg expanded their online presence, they faced a significant challenge: how to replicate the exceptional in-store experience online. In their stores, knowledgeable staff excelled at recommending products and upselling, thanks to ongoing training and a deep understanding of customer needs. This personalized service and extensive data on customer buying patterns made in-store sales smooth and efficient. However, the online shopping experience didn’t measure up.
“With over 30,000 unique items, manually curating product recommendations was time-consuming and often ineffective. Online suggestions felt random, even with purchase history data, resulting in fewer items per order compared to in-store purchases,” says Øyvind Moen, eCommerce Product Manager at Coop.
To tackle this challenge, the team hypothesized that integrating offline transaction data into a product recommendation engine, Voyado Elevate, would enhance the relevance of online recommendations.
“By adding offline data into Voyado Elevate, we can make online shopping feel more like the in-store experience, encouraging customers to add more items to their carts,” says Øyvind.
Now, when a customer adds an item to their cart, the system suggests complementary products based on their purchase history and current browsing behavior. This is particularly beneficial for complex purchases like building and renovation projects, which often require additional components. The algorithm continuously improves, refining recommendations over time.
Additionally, the team optimized category pages and seasonal listings to inspire customers and make it easier to discover popular items.
“The omnichannel strategy ensures a seamless experience across all touchpoints. Customers can check stock status, product specifications, and more online before visiting the store. QR codes in-store provide quick access to additional information, blending online and offline shopping,” says Øyvind.
Øyvind Moen, eCommerce Product Manager at Coop
The integration of offline data into Voyado Elevate has delivered impressive results for both businesses.
“For Obs, we saw a 25 % increase in add-to-cart revenue share, jumping from 2.12% to 2,7%. Obs Bygg experienced an even more dramatic increase of 33%, with add-to-cart revenue share rising from 1.66% to 2,2%. These results are even more Impressive considering that they are solely based on better input to the recommendation engine. We also see further improvements by experimenting with placement and design of recommendations in the customer journey,” says Øyvind.
These substantial improvements highlight the success of creating a more personalized and engaging online shopping experience that matches the high standards of their physical stores.
To sum it up: Obs and Obs Bygg have successfully leveraged data and focused on customer needs. They’ve effectively bridged the gap between online and offline shopping, ensuring customers receive consistent, high-quality service no matter how they choose to shop.
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