Strategy (5)
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Prospect AnalysisAO (Strategy)
Talking to Retail Week in August 2022, after weathering one of the “most challenging operating environments” since its inception, boss John Roberts explained how he plans to turn things around by continuing to streamline the business, cutting costs and focusing on profits rather than overall growth. This has seen the retailer stepping back from some areas of the business in order to increase profitability.
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Prospect AnalysisEcommerce at AO
AO’s ecommerce strategy is focused on ensuring its content is clear but detailed. It differentiates itself from competitors through the in-house production of product review videos and the use of 3D animation to explain technologies and features.
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Prospect AnalysisTechnology strategy at AO
CEO John Roberts spoke with Retail Week and reaffirmed AO’s commitment to “constantly and heavily” recruiting across all areas of technology. Roberts commented that senior retail staff may not understand the true capabilities of technologies such as AI, but the group has been tackling this by training senior non-IT employees to build understanding across the business.
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Prospect AnalysisSupply chain at AO
AO doubled warehousing capacity to 1.8 million sq ft over the two years to 2021, but has scaled this back to 1.2 million sq ft by mid-2023 as part of the streamlining of the business and increased focus on cost-efficiencies in the wake of the pandemic.
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Prospect AnalysisCustomer and marketing at AO
Ao.com’s mission statement is to “have the happiest customers by relentlessly striving for a better way”. The etailer believes its commitment to go above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer service will win loyalty and help spread the word about the company.
