Retail Digital Payments

Case Study

Retail Digital Payments Transformation

Company: Global Retail Franchisee

Location: Dubai, UAE

Year: 2022

Challenge: A global retail franchise and their core retail brands faced challenges such as fragmented customer payment data, ambiguity surrounding payment efficiences, heightened dissatisfaction among customers, particularly concerning the refund process, a myriad of other payment-related complications, and a notable absence of coordinated advancement strategies or product roadmap.

Solution: Develop a Group-Wide Digital Payments Strategy, Future Roadmap and a new Payments Team

Complete a full audit on the Groups payment infrastructre and operations
Carry out market research and global payment trends
Align with Senior Leadership and key stakeholders to understand their own challenges and requirements
Set up a Digital Payments team
Collaborate with Chief Digital Officer to develop strategy
Set up short-term “quick wins: to prove out now processes, methodoligies, and concepts.

SCOPE

Research Methodologies: Created a Payment Squad to carry out full audit (with additional external partners), market research and interviews with key stakeholders.

Outcome: Created a future Digital Payments vision with modern payment methods, operations, fintech partners, and platforms. Presented the outcomes to Senior Leadership team to gain buy-in for “Now, Next and Future” priorities.

SHAPE

Collaboration: Coordinated several internal working groups to ensure brands were involved throughout and to focus on improving both physical retail stores and ecommerce sites.

Outcome: Developed a two-year roadmap while also launching three key initiatives within the first four months:

1. Real-time Payments Dashboard (RTPD)
2. e-Gift Card (Digital Version of Physical Gift Card)
3. Buy-Now, Pay-Later (Launched BNPL with key fintech partners)

SOLVE

Agile Methodologies: Collaborated with Director of Digital Transformation to develop squads (involving business & tech) to create product backlog and development sprints.

Outcome: Tested prototypes, usability, and refined features at pace. Building out a set of epics, user stories, and backlog priorities. Resulting in products being shipped faster and better.

SCALE

Launch and Scale: Executed full launch strategy for each new product allowing the group to launch with twelve core brands across eigth key markets in the MENA region simultaneously.

Outcome: Increased ecommerce by over 20% in the first year. Gift Card business grew from a stagnated $19m (USD) annually to over $30m. Vastly reduced customer complaints due to increased efficiences in operations. Signed key partnerships with payment schemes and regional fintechs.

The Retail Group were now set up to continue their success with key initatives approved: