Background of the Integration
The “SharkNinja Official Online Store” features products from two brands: “Shark,” known for its cordless stick cleaners and other home appliances, and “Ninja,” which offers cooking appliances. Both brands develop products specifically for Japanese living environments, leveraging cutting-edge technology.
For high-priced home appliances, there is a strong consumer demand to see and test the actual product before purchasing. Online stores, however, face the challenge of not being able to provide a hands-on experience, which can deter potential buyers from making a decision.
The “Try Before You Buy” program will primarily target the latest vacuum cleaner models and the “Ninja Crispi” heating appliance. Vacuum cleaners with features like an “automatic dust collection dock” and “360° cleaning” offer benefits that are best understood through direct use. Similarly, the unique and advanced heating capabilities of the “Ninja Crispi” are more effectively demonstrated through actual use in a home setting, rather than just product descriptions.
Recognizing this need, the “SharkNinja Official Online Store” prioritized creating an environment where customers could try products at home before purchasing, and sought a partner to achieve this goal.
Value Provided by Recustomer
The newly introduced “Recustomer Try Before You Buy” platform allows customers to receive products and test them at home without initial payment. While the order total is ¥0, a credit card authorization secures the transaction, ensuring payment collection for the business. Customers can then decide to purchase or return the item. If they choose to return, they follow an online return process; if they decide to purchase, the payment is processed after the trial period ends.
This system addresses common anxieties associated with online shopping, such as uncertainty about a product’s usability or its fit with one’s lifestyle. By offering a trial experience, customers can gain a deeper understanding of the product’s value before buying.
Alongside this, “Recustomer Returns & Exchanges” has also been implemented, enabling customers to complete all post-purchase procedures, including returns from the trial program, entirely online. This integration of trial, return, and exchange processes into a single platform ensures a consistent and seamless customer experience from pre-purchase to post-purchase.
Expected Effects
By offering a “Try Before You Buy” option, SharkNinja aims to reduce instances where purchases are deferred due to uncertainty about product usability, thereby improving the conversion rate of its official online store. Since purchases are made after customers are satisfied with their experience, an increase in post-purchase satisfaction is also anticipated.
Furthermore, by streamlining the online return process for trial products, customers can confidently choose the “Try Before You Buy” option, knowing that returns are hassle-free. The “SharkNinja Official Online Store” plans to continue enhancing the online purchasing experience and conversion rates by enabling customers to understand and be satisfied with product value through actual experience.
About SharkNinja
SharkNinja is a leading company based in Boston, USA, that develops and offers home appliances, primarily focusing on floor care and kitchen appliances. “Shark®” is the No. 1 floor care brand in the US, and “Ninja®” sells the most small kitchen appliance products in the US. Since its entry into Japan in July 2018, the company has launched innovative products tailored to Japanese living environments, achieving the No. 1 sales share in the rechargeable handheld cleaner market in Japan.
SharkNinja’s mission is to “provide innovative products that meet true consumer needs and are close to consumers.” The company continues to offer products utilizing cutting-edge technology, aiming for “5-star satisfaction.”
Official HP: https://www.sharkninja.jp
About the Purchase Experience Platform “Recustomer”
Recustomer is a purchase experience platform designed to enhance the customer journey and create engagement points from order placement to post-purchase. It offers five services: “Recustomer Delivery Tracking” for order tracking and delivery notifications; “Recustomer Returns & Exchanges” for automating returns, exchanges, and cancellations; “Recustomer Try Before You Buy” for allowing customers to try products before purchasing; and “Recustomer Pre-order/Restock Reservation” for securing demand for pre-release or restocked items. The platform aims to improve user experience and support the sales growth of e-commerce businesses.
Service Site URL: https://recustomer.me/
About Recustomer Inc.
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Company Name: Recustomer Inc.
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Representatives: Yasuhiro Shibata, Shota Tsujino
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Business: Development and operation of the purchase experience platform “Recustomer”
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Established: March 2017
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Location: Ginza Quint 8F, 5-14-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
