Irish digital ecommerce specialistKooomo has launched a pick-and-pack app to improve the online shopping experience for retailers and customers. It should be especially useful for online grocery retailers struggling to cope with the recent surges in demand.
 
The app can be plugged into the back end of any retailer’s existing web site and synchronised with a barcode scanner so warehouse staff can select the orders to pack. It then creates an SKU list, which is immediately updated as each item is scanned, reducing human error and streamlining the order management process.
 
Once each order has been picked and packed, it will be stored in the web site back end as ‘waiting for delivery’ or ‘waiting for in-store collection’. The app aims to create a faster and more accurate online ordering process that will help retailers to save staff time and reduce costs.
 
“The online grocery sector has historically lagged behind other industries and Covid-19 has highlighted many problems in the ordering and delivery processes,” said Ciaran Bollard, CEO at Kooomo. “We realised that retailers needed an app that could effectively record and update the status of any unfulfilled orders, especially across the grocery sector where they may have a backlog of large orders due to increased demand during lockdown.”
 
Food delivery orders are the highest they have ever been and even Amazon has recently been forced to create a waiting list for new customers hoping to join its Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market delivery service. This has created a challenge for e-grocery managers who must now figure out how to improve their offering from an internal and a customer experience perspective.
 
“As soon as we saw the problems the e-grocery sector was facing, we began developing an app that would not only improve the customer experience but would also be valuable for online retailers operating in any sector,” Bollard said. “We firmly believe that a seamless omnichannel presence is at the heart of successful ecommerce and, by automatically synchronising with any ecommerce site, the pick-and-pack app will ensure the online ordering process is faster and more accurate, helping retailers to save staff time and reduce costs. It will also mean customers receive more informative and regular updates on their current order status which will in turn create a better customer experience.”
 
He said maintaining a satisfying and efficient experience for staff and consumers was crucial for the success of any online retailer, especially for those in the e-grocery sector.
 
“As we transition to the new normal, we want to help retailers overcome any new challenges they may be facing and hopefully, our new app will help them adjust as quickly and easily as possible,” he said. “We believe this will be the key to ensuring resilience and long-term profitability.”
 
With 17 years of international ecommerce experience powering more than a billion transactions, Kooomo was built to integrate with systems already being used, allowing complex projects to be delivered in six weeks using its Magento switching toolkit. Kooomo is used by brands such as Morrisons, Umbro, Mothercare, Havaianas, La Sportiva and Blauer.