By Emeka Aginam, in San Diego, US

One of the UK’s largest home and garden retailers, Homebase has deployed IBM Commerce to provide highly personalized shopping experiences designed to meet the needs of online shoppers.

IBM Commerce helps clients understand customer behavior and use insights to help deliver highly personalized and relevant experiences at every touch point.

From left: Deepak Advani, General Manager, IBM, Commerce, Blake Chandlee,Global Partnership, Facebook, Jo Kenrik, Director of Marketing, Homebase, David Walmsley, Director of Marks and Spencer, Ashu Garg, General Partner, Foundation Capital, and Jonah Berger, Associate Professor of Marketing, Whartson School in a press conference Tuesday in San Diego, the United States of America at the IBM 2015 Amplify conference. Photo by Emeka Aginam

Speaking on Tuesday at the just concluded IBM Amplify conference 2015 held in San Diego, United States of America, the General Manager of IBM, Commer, Deepak Advanisaid that, “Homebase demonstrates how market-leading retailers can adapt to new buying patterns by always putting the customer’s needs at the center of all their business decisions.

“By helping Homebase better understand their customers, IBM enhances the shopping experience in ways that surprise and delight even longtime customers.”

Whether the purchase is initiated online, in store or on mobile devices, IBM Commerce capabilities, he explained enable Homebase to ensure the right products are in stock at the right time from the most convenient location.

For the Jo Kenrick, Marketing Director, Homebase, “Our business is changing rapidly. It’s not just selling wood, nails or screws, it’s about helping our customers live in a home they really love.

“By standardizing our platform on IBM Commerce, Homebase has transformed its digital presence into an interactive inspirational showroom that guides them through all their home improvement needs.”

Using advanced analytics to understand and anticipate customer needs, IBM is working with Homebase to tailor the customer experience across more than 160 different kinds of home improvement projects.

With the solution , Homebase can now offer relevant tips and interactive product information that inspire their customers while providing fast and convenient ways to receive the products they need when they need them.

With more than 40 percent of its customers now visiting online, Homebase collaborated with IBM to help redesign how its digital channels could offer more help, advice and inspiration.

It would be recalled that Homebase had worked with IBM Interactive Experience to design and develop an engaging customer experience that integrates physical and digital channels to transform Homebase into a true omnichannel retailer.

In addition, Homebase tapped into IBM’s ecosystem of partners to integrate additional enhancements to the IBM platform such as digital content engagement from CoreMedia and advanced search capability from BloomReach.

Accordingly, the solution allows Homebase shoppers to seamlessly move from bowsing Homebase videos on their laptop to research the right types of plants for shady areas,   chatting online with other customers on their experiences with these types of plants,       receiving tips on alternative types of plants via email that they might not of considered; ordering that plant on their tablet from the yard after reassessing the garden bed layout,   among others.

With the new development, Homebase has changed the ganme for r Do-It-Yourself Online Shoppers With IBM Commercey’s consumer.

By integrating in-store, online and mobile channels, Homebase is also able to customize every step of the customer journey to inspire a new generation of do-it-yourselfers.

With this, Homebase has achieved double-digit sales growth in all digital sales channels and a 30 percent increase in online visitors.