Since going live in September 2021, Jarrold Store Folk has attracted more than 50 independent retailers
Growth Story
monthly increase in online sales since launch.
growth in participating small retailers.
Overview
Supporting the community
Established more than 250 years ago in the UK, the Jarrold department store is a fixture of the Norfolk retail landscape. The iconic independent retailer prides itself on showcasing the best of artisan creations from small businesses and sellers across the county and throughout the region. The retailer’s mission is to inspire and delight through brilliant curation and outstanding experiences.
Challenges
Target audience
Over the years, Jarrold has grown its retail business by meeting the needs of discerning shoppers who are eager to experience the very best products that Norwich has to offer. Occupying a premier position in the city’s vibrant central business district, the store stocks everything from clothing and homeware to toys, books, and food.
Project challenges
The Norwich region is home to a diverse collection of artisans and boutique manufacturers of quality goods. Many, however, have struggled to build an online presence that allows them to showcase their offerings to the world.
- A high proportion of small retailers have no established web presence and struggle to reach new customers
- Their individual brands are not well known outside their existing customer base
- Many lack the marketing and SEO skills needed to ensure their products rank highly in web searches
Solutions
During 2020, the Jarrold marketing team realised the firm had an exciting opportunity to assist local sellers to reach a wider audience. A decision was taken to use the Jarrold website to boost awareness and drive sales.
Working closely with local businesses, the team designed and built an innovative web portal and developed the brand Jarrold Store Folk. When it came time to select an underpinning platform to support the new site, the team partnered with Marketplacer.
Marketplacer’s platform seamlessly integrates with Jarrold’s existing e-commerce platform which enables a frictionless experience for their small retail partners to sell their products through the Jarrold website. Indeed, Marketplacer handles the mechanics of complex shopping carts with multiple sellers’ products.
- The innovative portal offers easy access to a diverse range of products
- There are already more than 50 small retailers on board with a further 25 preparing to join
- Each listing is supported by high-quality photography and engaging copy
- Retail owners are highlighted in a personalised profile, designed to drive a strong connection with prospective customers
- Retailers also have the opportunity to stage pop-up micro-stores within the main Jarrold department store
- Seamless integration via API to the Jarrold.co.uk CMS and shipping directly to customers by the sellers.
Results
Since going live in September 2021, Jarrold Store Folk has attracted more than 50 independent retailers and 2000 products.
- The first independent retailers were being loaded onto the new site within the first 60 days
- The Jarrold Store Folk site has become a seamless extension of the company’s primary web presence
- Participating retailers are experiencing a significant increase in sales activity and revenue
- The store is making it possible for small retailers to serve an audience that was previously out of reach
- New retailers are being added at the rate of 10 per month
- Long-term customer engagement and loyalty is strong
Jarrold Store Folk’s marketplace is now enabling the retailer and its community of local sellers to emerge stronger post the recent global disruption and delight both new and existing customers by knowing what their customers desire and how to innovate to deliver it. At the same time, Jarrold is continuing to complement its bricks and mortar in-store environment with a new route to market and offering a wider range of products to support its obsession with customer connection and experience. In the near future, Jarrold plans to expand the marketplace to more national brands as a Direct to Consumer/Drop ship project.
Testimonials
At Jarrold, we have a passion for helping small retailers across our city and our region succeed by reaching a wider audience. By establishing Jarrold Store Folk, powered by Marketplacer, we have managed to create a vibrant online store that showcases the very best of what is on offer locally.
At Jarrold, we have a passion for helping small retailers across our city and our region succeed by reaching a wider audience. By establishing Jarrold Store Folk, powered by Marketplacer, we have managed to create a vibrant online store that showcases the very best of what is on offer locally.
Neil Park
Head of Ecommerce