rue21 Gets Sales andSatisfaction Bump with aData-Driven, Omnichannel
CX Strategy
RegionCustomer
Success Story

Opportunity

North America

New rue21, LLC (rue21), is a fast-fashion growth retailer with over 600 stores in shopping
malls, outlets, and other retail centers. The brand has experienced dramatic growth over theyears, propelling the retailer to a top destination for on-trend fashion apparel and accessories
at a great value.

SolutionsOver the last few years, rue21 has worked to evolve its offerings to better serve customers. To
support these efforts, the retailer has embarked on a data-driven strategy to gather customer
feedback from across the consumer journey to promote a greater understanding of how toimprove customer experiences.

Verint® Experience
Management™

Industry
RetailResults• Aggregated VOC insights

for a cross-functional viewof customer interactions
and experiences acrossthe consumer journey.

• Used data to prioritize
actions for continuous
CX improvements.

• Increased NPS by

17 points by improving
BOPIS fulfillment modeland brand productstrategy that addressedcommon feedback/pain
points noted in VOC.

• Realized a 72% increasein BOPIS orders
month-over-monthafter CX improvementchanges took effect.

In 2019, rue21 modernized its store designs to give customers a new and inspiring in‑store
experience. Voice of Customer (VOC) feedback was vital in helping the internal customer
experience (CX) team identify issues that were causing lower Net Promoter Score (NPS) ratings.
This data also guided how the team implemented changes, such as improving customer
greetings and communication of in-store promotions; delivering a more consultative fitting room
experience; and ratcheting up the speed of the cash-wrap process.
Once rue21 saw the big wins stemming from these changes, it zeroed in on delivering CX
improvements in two key omnichannel retail areas: its buy online pickup in store (BOPIS)
fulfillment model and the brand’s plus-size fashion line. The organization set out to obtain thedata needed to guide the necessary changes.

Solutionrue21 deployed Verint® Experience Management™ to measure store, digital, fulfilment, andBOPIS experiences. Verint Experience Management enables listening across virtually all digitaland non‑digital channels (mobile, web, social, email, voice, SMS, and others); engagement posts(opt-in, triggered digital, post-interaction survey, lifecycle survey, and telephone calls); and datatypes (structured, unstructured, direct, and indirect).
The Verint solution has enabled the retailer to align its VOC insights to key performanceindicators (KPIs) across the customer journey. One element of the Verint Experience
Management solution, predictive modeling, was particularly helpful to the rue21 CX team.
With it, the team can effectively translate feedback into specific actions that lead to thegreatest measurable business impact.“With Verint Experience Management, rue21 now has a modern,cross-functional view of customer interactions and experiences
across the consumer journey and insights to guide priority actions
for continuous CX improvements.”

Benefits

Following the launch of its BOPIS offering, rue21 quickly
realized it faced some significant challenges. As BOPIS
consistently received the lowest NPS among customer
touchpoints, the retailer was eager to collect and act on
customer feedback to improve how customers experienced
this important fulfilment option.
Using Verint Experience Management, rue21 was able
to gain insight into various issues. Low order-volume
and CX inconsistencies abounded. Customers reported
that associates didn’t seem well trained in the process.
Often, associates cancelled BOPIS orders because
they couldn’t look for and find items due to technicalinventory problems.
This feedback provided a roadmap for rue21 to get its
BOPIS effort back on track. First, rue21 expanded order-filltime from one to two hours. Interestingly, customers didn’t
mind the longer timeframe provided the in-store pickup
process was fast. Another important move rue21 madewas offering associates half-off their own BOPIS orders,which helped promote greater understanding of theexperience from a customer’s perspective.
A comprehensive retraining for BOPIS was deployed
to stores. Simultaneously, signage was reevaluated andsimplified. Improved inventory management and revamped
customer communications rounded out the key changes,
all of which contributed to an increase in overall sales anda 17-point rise in NPS. In addition, rue21 saw a 72 percent
uptick in BOPIS orders month-over-month after thechanges took effect.

Access to and analysis of VOC data also led to significant
changes in the retailer’s strategy around its rue+ collection.
rue21’s plus-size customers are among its most loyal
and valuable shoppers. However, customer feedback
indicated there was room for improvement. Customers
were requesting more rue+ inventory in more stores, aswell as specific styles of desired clothing.
In concert with this invaluable customer feedback andadditional analyses and research, the retailer has maderue+ a company wide priority. Changes included anexpanded online rue+ product selection, expanded
in-store inventory, and more stores now offering therue+ collection. Marketing and user experience changes
have helped boost CX too. For example, rue+ girls is
now prominently featured on the homepage, in social
media, and in store window signage, while enhanced sitenavigation has made it easier for girls to shop the rue+collection. rue21 continues to make enhancements toensure the brand is aligned with its mission of inclusivity.
rue21’s key executives meet monthly to review a summaryof customer feedback to drive CX changes. With VerintExperience Management, rue21 now has a modern,cross-functional view of customer interactions andexperiences across the consumer journey and insights toguide priority actions for continuous CX improvements.

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Net promoter, NPS, and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld.

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