Recreate The Store Experience Online

September 2012 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

By Matt Pillar, editor in chief

Independent retailer Rock/Creek quadrupled online sales — which now account for half of its business — by emulating the physical store.

People who paddle kayaks, climb rocks without ropes, and take runs through rugged forests are people who feel right at home at Chattanooga area’s Rock/Creek. The place was founded and continues to be staffed by outdoor sports enthusiasts who understand that consultation and conversation are keys to customer satisfaction and sales. Due to its staff’s expertise and the dirt-and-water-loving culture that oozes from its brand, this is the place where locals have been gearing up for outdoor adventure since 1987.

Rock/Creek was an early adopter of e-commerce; it launched a site in 2000 to complement its four local stores. Seeing the potential of this then-new sales channel, partner-owners Dawson Wheeler and Marvin Webb began to leverage the tools and technologies — live chat, social media, targeted email, and fresh blog content from staff experts, to name a few — that would help the site emulate the brand’s unique in-store experience. Director of e-Commerce Mark McKnight, who joined Rock/Creek in 2004, now leads that ongoing effort.