Article from Retail Bulletin

The re-launch of the TJ Hughes online store at the beginning of June was the key to its impressive recent sales figures that showed overall like-for-likes sales growth and its internet shop growing by 80 per cent for the first six months of its current financial year.

Steve Goodheart of the Transaction Partnership, which planned and implemented the re-launch, says the investment in improved e-commerce, website technology, and improved customer service were crucial in helping the fashion retailer achieve its impressive results for the half-year to August 1.

The work also allowed TJ Hughes to increase its number of product ranges available online and tap into the rising number of shoppers researching prices before buying online. Goodheart says the move by TJ Hughes is further evidence of how discount retailers are gearing up to take advantage of stronger online demand for value created by the current economic climate, following on from Matalan’s online launch at the start of the year.

“TJ Hughes’ results demonstrate that, as internet shoppers become more fickle and prepared to search online for the best bargains, particularly in the recession, investing in website performance and customer service can go a long way to build customer loyalty. The site is now operating on a much more stable platform which, from a customer point of view, means that the site performs much more consistently,” suggests Goodheart.