Those in search of the perfect foundation, the best anti-aging serum or the hottest shade of lipstick used to have to go from makeup counter to makeup counter, only to be disappointed by a limited selection of brands and information.
In 2000, fresh-faced 21-year-old Kate Morris took this challenge into her own hands and launched Adore Beauty, an online beauty boutique that now boasts more than 150 brands and 10,000 products.
Adore Beauty stands proud today as Australia’s leading e-commerce beauty brand. And with thanks to the support of SLI Systems, it provides a glowing example of a retailer that has navigated the journey from pure play to omnichannel to international success story.
The changing face of e-commerce
Adore Beauty has been an online-only brand from the outset, but it wasn’t until the world of e-commerce took off in a big way that the team sought out the help of SLI Systems.
As search functions like Google developed in sophistication, the expectations of consumers grew, and Adore Beauty knew it had to up its game to keep shoppers happy and continue to convert sales.
A digital make-over
“We partnered with SLI Systems in 2010 because of its deep commitment to customer service,” said Adore Beauty E-commerce Manager Gareth Williams. With SLI Learning Search Connect for Magento, Adore Beauty is able to guide its shoppers to the right products from the moment they type in the search box. “The SLI Learning Search Connect extension for Magento was easy to implement and the results speak for themselves. We know when shoppers use search, we’ve got them,” Gareth said.
Shoppers who use Adore Beauty’s search tool now spend four times longer on the site than those who don’t – soaking up the relevant beauty tips, blogs and user reviews that SLI serves up in addition to visually tempting products.
“As an online business, it’s important to remember that each online session is a person, and each person is a potential customer,” said Gareth. “With SLI, we are able to constantly tune search results and ensure the customer is served the best result at that point in time. This type of service coverts sales and keeps our customers coming back for more.”
Success that speaks for itself
From humble beginnings, Adore Beauty has experienced 73 percent growth in the last 12 months alone and now generates around $16 million in turnover. The award winning e-commerce beauty brand attributes 30 percent of site revenue to the power of SLI.
But not content with its phenomenal success at home, Adore Beauty is now in search of a new challenge.
“We recently decided to expand into the Chinese market. With cultural differences, a language barrier and additional paperwork and red tape, it has certainly been challenging. But with SLI Systems on board, we are confident we have the right technology in place to help us make a success of this exciting opportunity,” Gareth said.
For more information, check out our Adore Beauty case study.
