TYMOTHY

All the business essentials plus some Our core product includes a fully integrated online store that has everything you need to build a successful online storefront. Full featured CRM Sophisticated marketing tools, including an affiliate and rewards program Free, customizable and ready-to-use templates 24x7x365 Out of this World™ Support Premium hosting with a 99.99% uptime guarantee* NEW! On-the-go mobile shopping with Volusion mCommerce™ Social media tools to increase sales There’s been quite a bit of hopping around the office in brightly-colored footwear after working with one of our newest clients, KangaROOS. Remember those awesome shoes with the pouch? You know, the ones you could put your lunch money in so bullies wouldn’t take it from you? (Maybe that was just me.) These cultural icons from the 80s never went away and are now coming back with a strong resurgence. One big boost in the business has come from the opening of KangaROOS’ newest ecommerce site, powered by Volusion. Jared Carver, president of KangaROOS USA, wanted to start selling his iconic products online to offer customers a broader selection that was easy to find and browse. Previously, the shoes were only available for purchase through wholesale retail partners, such as Zappos.com, DSW, Journeys and Finish Line. While this was a great opportunity for KangaROOS, they consistently struggled in competing for shelf space with larger competitors like Nike, Puma and Saucony. Carver knew that additional customer demand was out there after conducting marketing research and collecting anecdotes from customers and contacts. With this in mind, the decision was made to open an independent retail store in Boston. The location was open for three months, leading to successful results and a wealth of customer insight. Despite these promising figures, the team was concerned about the high overhead costs tied into running a physical location. Thus, KangaROOS decided not to renew their lease and move online. Another major factor in deciding to venture into the world of ecommerce was KangaROOS’ successful following on Facebook. This new communication channel served as a catalyst for serving a dose of nostalgia to loyal followers, allowing them to interact with the brand. Fans consistently asked where they could find specific styles they wore as kids. . The KangaROOS marketing team investigated developing an ecommerce site through traditional agencies, but costs were in the six figure range. After extensive research, they found Volusion’s reasonable price structure, scalability, integration with social networking tools and customer service keys for their business model. Our professional design team also had the pleasure to work with ROOS to adapt its graphical elements into a consistent, intuitive design template. . In discussing the decision in choosing our ecommerce platform, Carver said the following: “With Volusion, I can build my business without worrying about moving data if I grow to a certain level. I also liked the social applications – particularly Facebook. We knew that to reinvigorate the ROOS brand, we needed to have a powerful social media presence and Volusion made that easier for us.” After only three weeks of launching the online store, KangaROOS generated more revenue than its brick and mortar store attracted in three months. Additionally, web traffic has increased by 10 percent and first month’s sales have increased by 75 percent week after week. And thanks to social media integrations, 10 percent of initial online sales have come directly from Facebook. . Carver continued: “Prior to launching a site with ecommerce capabilities, we had solid, steady web traffic, but had no way to monetize that traffic,” continued Carver. “Now, we’re converting traffic into sales while driving new customers to the site. With online sales capabilities, we now have a reason to more actively communicate with our customers. Our Facebook fans have increased 10x since we launched the site and now we can service them directly instead of working through other retailers. In this way, the site has allowed to increase and improve our interactions with customers, creating an avid and loyal customer base.” “To date, sales at our online store have far exceeded our expectations. I can’t believe that with thousands of customers, our team can call Volusion and get superior, one-on-one customer service.” . . To provide you with a trip down memory lane, check out the rich history of KangaROOS: 1979: As a jogging and running craze swept the nation, architect Bob Gamm set out on another 10k run. Gamm needed a place to store his house key and a small amount of money during his daily run. And thus, KangaROOS was born. 1980s: ROOS featured sport-specific products endorsed by professional athletes Walter Payton, Clyde Drexler and Ozzie Smith. In the mid-1980s Gamm partnered with footwear consultants and NASA to develop Dynacoil, a patented energy release system that many shoe manufacturers would later incorporate into their shoes’ designs. 1990s: ROOS continued to develop a following in the 1990s, especially throughout Europe. But as the brand became increasingly popular overseas, it lost some of its stateside luster. Nonetheless the brands’ ambassadors on the other side of the pond widened the product lineup to include apparel and other sport-lifestyle accessories. 2007-Present: One7 Holdings LLC of Boston, MA, acquired the rights to design, market and distribute ROOS in their native land. In 2009, ROOS launched an exclusive Walter Payton Limited Edition Collection featuring updated styles reminiscent of ROOS first professional sports endorser, Walter “Sweetness” Payton. Today, ROOS continues to gain momentum in the States and around the world. We’re thrilled to be working with such a legend. Our COO and CMO, Clay Olivier, added the following: “As a cultural icon with huge potential for ecommerce growth, KangaROOS is the ideal customer for Volusion and we’re honored to be working with them. As the brand continues to grow in popularity, we’ll be working hand-in-hand with ROOS to help them meet the customer demand that’s sure to follow.” . So in the mean time, bounce over to check out the new KangaROOS site at www.kangaroosusa.com! . Happy selling! -Matt Winn, Marketing Associate . Follow us for exclusive promos, breaking news and expert advice!