The Situation
At a time when consumers were increasingly turning to e-commerce to meet their shopping needs, Razer reports that the company responded by listing its products on marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Catch. Shortly after expanding to these new channels, however, the online team told Rithum that it realised just how challenging it would be to maintain a strong marketplace presence. There were product listings to optimise, inventory to manage and stock levels to track. According to Razer, with each new marketplace launch, the process became more complex.
“It was incredibly difficult to manage so many marketplaces at once,” says Senior Manager of Online Sales Operations Ain Karel Areola.
“Without a solution to meet the different requirements of each channel, we were struggling.” “With the fan and customer base growing at an astronomical pace, we had to look for a reliable e-commerce platform,” adds Digital Specialist Hueyming Koh.
So the team set out in search of a solution that would allow the brand to expand to marketplaces more strategically.
The Solution
It didn’t take long for Razer to decide which solution would be the best fit for the brand’s needs.
“Rithum makes it easier to scale, and is ideal for brands that want to expand quickly to global marketplaces in North America, Europe and APAC,” says Areola.
By enlisting the help of Rithum Managed Services for Marketplaces, the Razer team reports that they were able to successfully list on 11 global marketplaces including Target, Newegg, Walmart, and more. After establishing a strong presence in the US and Europe, the team says they were able to focus on reaching additional audiences in the APAC region by expanding to Catch.
“Rithum keeps us connected to each marketplace, and frees our team to devote more time to high-value initiatives,” says Koh. “Whether it’s automation or optimising product listings, the platform makes everything so much easier.”
“The whole experience has been very progressive, and any time we face issues the Managed Services team is quick to respond and help resolve them,” Areola says.
Most notably, they say, having e-commerce specialists on their side has helped ensure the online team doesn’t miss out on emerging opportunities.
“The Rithum Managed Services team has become an extension of our internal team,” notes Koh. “They keep us up to date on opportunities among the individual marketplaces, and ahead of changing laws and regulations — such as the value-added tax (VAT) changes resulting from Brexit.”
The Results
Razer says its online selling journey is proof that even the biggest, most established brands still have plenty of room for growth. After finding the right mix of e-commerce expertise and technology, the online team says the brand was able to double the number of marketplaces where it sells. And within a year of that expansion, marketplaces GMV had increased 10x, according to Razer.
Between the brand’s increased visibility and a surge in demand — a record increase in gaming activity during the global pandemic led 82% of gamers to spend more money — Razer confirms it was able to boost sales and revenue by being in the right place at the right time. With Rithum’s robust reports and intuitive dashboards, Koh says, the process became remarkably easy.
One particularly successful experience occurred on eBay. With help from the Rithum Managed Services Team, Razer reports that it was able to identify the opportunity for an exclusive partnership for the marketplace’s Certified Refurbished Program.
“Refurbished products sell very well, and account for 25% of marketplaces sales,” says Koh. And none of those achievements involved extra work, according to Koh. In fact, Razer told Rithum that the online team has actually reduced the amount of time devoted to online selling activities.
“Efficiency in work has gone up by about 50%,” Areola says. “We can easily list products with a universal template for all marketplaces, and we can gather insights quickly with the Rithum dashboard. Inputting stock quantities, for example, is fast and easy.”
From monitoring stock levels to creating strong product listings to launching promotions during peak seasons, Koh says automation and expertise have been critical to success.
“Without Rithum, our jobs would be much more difficult all around,” she explains. “The global Rithum team is well-connected and well-versed on everything from marketplace policies to e-commerce best practices. That level of proficiency is a must for any brand that wants to expand quickly, seamlessly and profitably.”
