Vistula with a new online shop and mobile sales application

The biggest clothing brand of the VRG Group has just launched a new online shop and will soon start a mobile sales application. The new engine, which is the base for both solutions, was created as a dedicated tool for Vistula. The application developers focused on providing the best possible shopping experience for consumers - from the way products are presented to the order handling process. The investment in e-commerce channel infrastructure is part of VRG's strategic plan for 2021. The group wants to break the revenue record in the online channel this year.

Vistula is the second of VRG's clothing brands to move its online shop to new engines. Wółczanka, the Group's largest online brand, underwent a similar transformation at the end of 2020. Ernest Podgórski, VRG board member responsible for e-commerce and IT, emphasizes, this is not the end of the changes in the infrastructure of the clothing and jewelry group from Krakow. By the end of 2021 VRG wants to make mobile sales applications available in further brands. Apart from Vistula and Wółczanka, the group owns the Bytom and Deni Cler Milano brands and the oldest Polish jewelry brand - W.KRUK.

VRG is heading towards omnichannel

- This year will be important for us on grounds of e-commerce. During the pandemic we made huge progress in this area. Sales moved online, which was followed by investments in processes that improve the shopping experience for customers. The results of all our brands illustrate the positive effects of these investments - says Ernest Podgórski.

- We want to build on this positive trend. Our goal is to continuously improve customer service in all service channels and to develop towards omnichannel, defined as enabling the customer to combine information and transaction functions between different channels at any stage of the purchasing process - emphasizes Radosław Jakociuk, VRG vice-president responsible for operations and brand divisions.

At the end of December 2020, the share of the Internet in the sales of VRG Group's sales amounted to approximately 25 %.

More efficient order handling

What does the implementation of the new application mean for Vistula's customers? Shopping online is now more convenient and the handling of returns is more efficient. This results, inter alia, in shorter delivery times and refunds in case of returning goods. Investing in shop infrastructure and optimizing the logistics process and the handling of returns will allow VRG to invest more boldly in traffic as well.

The infrastructure of Vistula and Wółczanka online shops is based on a proprietary engine using OVH's private cloud. As a result, they are able to handle more customer traffic to the website. The new engine also enables the automation of many processes related to order processing. Because VRG developed it for its specific needs from the outset, the group was able to take advantage of the experience accumulated in recent years - and particularly during the pandemic period.

- We have had real stress tests, during periods of administrative closures of stationary networks, as well as the best possible test of the system's capacity: Black Friday 2020. At that time Wółczanka broke its historical record for orders served. We also recorded a record-breaking conversion rate. The new engine handled customer traffic without any problems – emphasizes Aneta Kazanowska, director of VRG online shops.

Development of all VRG e-shops

As Ernest Podgórski declares, VRG is looking at further innovations, which would combine online and offline possibilities in the shopping process.  - We plan to develop all our e-stores. We will invest in new functionalities and in improving the order logistics. However, the pace and scope of further implementations will largely depend on the situation in the country and, consequently, the situation of the economy and the company itself – he points out.

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VRG S.A. (former name Vistula Group S.A.) has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 1993. The VRG S.A. Capital Group specializes in the design and distribution of high quality fashion collections for men and women and jewelry. It owns highly recognizable trademarks in five main lines: Vistula, Bytom, Wólczanka, Deni Cler Milano (DCG S.A.) and the oldest jewelry brand in Poland W.KRUK (W.KRUK S.A.). The VRG S.A. Capital Group focuses on brand management, design of clothing and jewelry and development of its own sales network in both main segments (clothing and jewelry). Since 2000, the basis of VRG S.A.'s strategy has been to realize the vision of a "House of Brands" and a distributor in the retail market.