Unlike startups or organizations born in the digital era, the adaptation process for long-standing companies in physical establishments can be more complicated.
When you have been a business for more than 100 years, it means that you numbers (south korean tv series) have been effective in your strategies and actions to stay in the market for so long.
However, when the world changes, the consumer changes. With the Internet, the rules of the game, consumer habits and ways of communicating have changed; that is when age is not as important as the ability to adapt to changes in order to remain relevant.
Success Stories
An example of this is the case of Grupo Mosca in Uruguay, a retailer that took the big step of opening its online store after 127 years as a physical store.
“This is a customer who wants to live the same experience that he or she has in stores when he or she accesses the Mosca portal, when he or she sends his or her contact information in a form or when he or she communicates through a social network,” says Ana de León, Head of Marketing at the Mosca Group.
The team in charge of developing this digital project was made up of 12 people from different departments and areas of work in the company. The project took a year to create and the results can already be seen.
The Mosca Group currently has more than 8,000 SKUs or units in stock on its website, which represent - although not 100% - a significant percentage of the company's total merchandise.
The digital ecosystem requires constant transformation and updating by organizations to keep up with the competitive pace of the world.
Mosca Group is not satisfied with the web version of its online store, but is also working on its mobile version, since 50% of its visits are made from these devices.
Another case that clearly shows how to approach the change from physical to digital sales is that of the shoe store Packer Shoes.
This store, founded in New York in 1907, found a way to stay relevant without losing its essence.
“I think what we do best and what we’re trying to achieve is a more modern approach to a heritage-based business,” family-owned business owner Michael Packer tells Shopify.