Navigating the Digital Commerce Revolution: Sportive's Successful Journey

From overwhelming challenges to exciting results including a 350% increase in transactions…
Episode I
“A Happy Place For All Sports Fans”
Sportive stands as Turkey’s premier multi-brand sports retail chain, solidifying its industry experience with the slogan “The Best Brands, the Best You” and a vision for innovation and growth. It operates 25 stores across 11 cities, boasting a combined sales and service space of 27,000 square meters, making it a significant player in the sports retail sector. Additionally, its website, www.sportive.com.tr, ranks among Turkey’s largest online sports stores.

Sportive is the distributor for Arena and Nike Accessories in Turkey. It also houses a wide range of prominent brands under its umbrella, including Nike, Adidas, Puma, Asics, Billabong, Birkenstock, and many others.

Episode II
“The Cracked Glass”
In the realm of digital commerce, Anil Ozturk, Sportive’s Director of Digital Commerce, In the realm of digital commerce, Anil Ozturk, the Director of Digital Commerce at Sportive, found himself amidst a storm of challenges. Technical limitations within the Order Management System (OMS) were impacting customer experience, particularly regarding order fulfillment. To achieve their omnichannel goals, Sportive needed to address challenges in store inventory visibility, in-store fulfillment capabilities, returns management, and integrating physical stores with digital sales channels.

Their previous platform’s lack of modern technology in SOAP-based integrations with the ERP compounded their woes, while the need for a front-end redesign and site speed issues only added to the chaos. Their mobile apps were cumbersome to maintain, the back office operated at a slow pace, and the downtime during peak seasons loomed over them like a dark cloud. Constant problems on checkout pages and the strain of upkeep with a small IT team were additional burdens on Anil’s shoulders.

Episode III
“Making the Right Transforming Decision”
Faced with these challenges, Anil and his team knew they needed a drastic change. They made the bold decision to replatform with Akinon, a move that would reshape the landscape of Sportive’s digital commerce experience with a unified commerce approach. Remarkably, it took only four months to complete the migration to Akinon, including transitioning to AWS, integrating customer and order history, CRM, CDP, logistics centers, and developing brand new native apps.

“With Akinon's platform in place, we achieved a significant transformation. Gone were the days of worrying about peak seasons, accessibility issues, or security breaches.”

Anil Ozturk Digital Commerce Director at Sportive
+350%Transactions +68%Organic Traffic +83%Ship from Store Ratio
Episode IV
“A Smooth Transition”
Anil was impressed by the expertise and efficiency of the Akinon team throughout the onboarding process. Their agility and flexibility made the transition smooth and painless. “But the true testament to our success lay in the results. With Akinon's platform in place, we achieved a significant transformation.” says Anil.
Gone were the days of worrying about peak seasons, accessibility issues, or security breaches. With Akinon’s platform providing superior performance and security, Sportive could now focus on what truly mattered: enhancing transactions and driving revenue.

Moreover, Anil underscores the significance of both digital and in-store experiences, emphasizing the necessity for a seamless transition between the two realms. He points out that digital customers effortlessly carry their web and mobile interactions into physical stores, where sales personnel actively engage with customers’ baskets and deliver tailored shopping consultations leveraging Akinon’s in-store product.

Episode V
“A Bright Future”

“We streamlined store inventory management, resulting in an 83% shipment rate from store inventory and a substantial 26% cost reduction in logistics. Transactions increased by 350% in 2 years time with the existing number of team members, while organic traffic grew by 68%.”

Anil Ozturk

Digital Commerce Director at Sportive

Sportive’s efforts and transition to Akinon have led to impressive results. A review of their data shows the following developments:
An
83%
surge in shipments from store inventory.
A
26% reduction in shipment and logistics costs.
A staggering
350% increase in transactions, accomplished with the same staff.
A
68%
rise
 in organic traffic.
Digital sales from Sportive apps now account for
24%
A
31%
boost
in website speed immediately following the migration.
As Anil reflected on their journey, he couldn't help but marvel at how far they'd come. What had once seemed like big obstacles had been conquered with determination, teamwork, and the right technology partner by their side.