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Case Study: Kitwave

Reducing Returns and Enhancing the Customer Experience with Akeneo PIM

''After implementing Akeneo PIM, our online customer return rate dropped from 10% to about 1.6%, and the vast majority of those are just damaged products instead of unsatisfied purchases.''

Sophie McGovern, eCommerce Manager

Project Summary

Challenges

  • Multiple brands selling to a wide variety of different types of B2B customers but virtually no ability to cross}sell between brands.
  • Poor penetration on digital channel.
  • Poor product data organization and restricted search abilities.
  • High return rates due to lack of product information and customer confusion.
  • No single source of truth for product information, meaning that the time it took to launch new products and new channels was too long.

Benefits

  • Improved conversion rates and web orders from supplier.
  • Online sales have a 7% average cart value compared to traditional telephone sales.
  • Increased revenue from supplier advertising on websites.
  • Return rates went from 10% to 1.6%.
  • Increased ability to provide ingredient, allergen, and regulatory information on food product.
  • Consolidated product content into a single source of truth before feeding 6 different website.
  • Improved agility and time-to-market.

The Challenge

Kitwave is a prominent food and beverage wholesaler with an annual turnover of £600-700 million, structured into 13 distinct trading entities.

This complex setup presented unique challenges in product management and eCommerce. Teams were working in silos across brands using multiple ERP systems and websites.

Kitwave was growing and acquiring companies that operated semiautonomously. There are multiple ERPs and technology systems but no single source of truth or comprehensive digital strategy.

Kitwave’s brands relied primarily on traditional telephone sales with few customers using their brand websites. They knew their customers bought more online, but their existing eCommerce infrastructure and product content limited their ability to grow this crucial channel.

Kitwave’s biggest challenge was their inability to provide customers with one brand with the entire company’s product assortment from all 13 brands, which meant missing out on valuable cross-sell opportunities. 

For some of their brands, product information such as ingredients and nutrition information allergies was very important.

They sell to highly regulated costumes including hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons where there’s significant legal liability if errors occur.

 

''One of our businesses, Miller Through Akeneo PIM Foods, went from 10% of their customer base purchasing from online channels to 42% with the help of Akeneo PIM.''

Alan McCartney, IT Director

The Solution

The project commenced with the strategic objective to centralize and streamline product information across Kitwave’s multifaceted operation. Leveraging the expertise of Foodservice Online, Kitwave implemented Akeneo’s PIM system to consolidate data from disparate sources.

The ambitious scope of the project covered 7 channels and involved the management of approximately 78,000 products.

 

 

This required a meticulous approach to ensure that all stakeholders, from IT to marketing, were aligned and that the system supported the intricate needs of various trading entities within Kitwave.

A vital aspect of the solution was establishing multiple connectors to facilitate seamless data flows between Akeneo PIM and Adobe Commerce platforms for all Kitwave trading entities. This integration ensured that product information was synchronized across the group’s eCommerce ecosystem.

The successful implementation of Akeneo PIM, complemented by strategic partnerships and advanced technological integrations, provided Kitwave with a powerful platform to manage its extensive product range effectively. This foundational step was crucial in resolving the challenges faced by Kitwave and setting the stage for its continued digital evolution and eCommerce success.

''We now have a whole new conversation with our suppliers. They want to advertise their brand online and want our customers to see that. This is a new opportunity for us for our new suppliers.''

Alan McCartney, IT Director

The Result

The implementation of Akeneo PIM across Kitwave’s trading entities has yielded tangible, impressive results, significantly enhancing the percentage of web orders and illustrating the power of a robust digital strategy.

Kitwave has seen a notable uptick in web order percentages across its trading entities, with figures such as Eden Farm’s rising from 16% to 35%, and Miller Foodservice’s nearly quintupling from 10% to 49%. This surge illustrates the platform’s impact on user experience and digital sales efficiency.

Moreover, return rates across the group have significantly decreased, reflecting the benefits of accurate product representation. Additionally, the average cart value has increased by 7%, underscoring the enhanced customer purchasing behavior facilitated by the PIM system. Overall, Akeneo’s solution has been instrumental in driving digital transformation and operational excellence within Kitwave.

A special thanks to our partners who supported this project:

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