Unilever Benefits Club: A Scalable and Flexible D2C Channel in Chile Centered Around Customers

As the consumer packaged goods (CPG) market shifts increasingly towards direct-to-consumer (DTC) models to gain deeper insights into customer preferences alongside traditional retail channels, Unilever Chile recognized the need to transform digitally. Unilever set out to redefine its online footprint and embrace digitalization as a tool and a core strategy for growth and enhancing customer interactions. To do this, they teamed up with VTEX’s composable and complete commerce platform, launching a modern digital commerce platform designed to deliver a unique customer experience.

As one of the biggest CPG companies in the world, Unilever’s influence spans 180 countries, with an extensive range of products in the personal care, home care, and food industries. Unilever’s digital journey in Chile kicked off in 2019, as the company started to tap into the potential of direct ecommerce. They began by partnering with major retailers and leveraging modern digital platforms, a strategic move that opened up new avenues for engaging directly with their customers.

“For the mass consumption industry and the categories in which Unilever competes, developing the ecommerce channel represents a real challenge, as purchases for many years were carried out mainly in offline channels. The direct-to-consumer digital channel was still unexplored for the company, but the timing to start this transformation coincided perfectly with the onset of the pandemic in 2020.”

Javiera Paz Mordoj Iturriaga, Senior Direct-to-Consumer Leader, Digital Commerce, Unilever – Chile

Unilever’s strategy focused on three main pillars: strengthening customer loyalty through direct sales relationships, acquiring and managing data to improve their value proposition, and using the D2C channel as a platform for product testing and promotional activities.

The Unilever Benefit Club platform offers a wide range of exclusive benefits on products from all the company’s categories, with competitive deliveries across Chile. From unique promotions to contests and personalized customer service, their online store has become a destination for Chilean consumers looking for deals and personalized experiences.

“We chose to work with VTEX because of the solid service they offer and the flexibility of the SaaS to develop tailored functionalities, and lastly because of the user-friendly platform (UX) for both users (front) and developers (back).”

Javiera Paz Mordoj Iturriaga, Senior Direct-to-Consumer Leader, Digital Commerce, Unilever – Chile

Another key point for Unilever was to adapt processes and systems to a logistics management model that supported the D2C model, with an ecosystem partner developing an entire strategy to acquire Unilever products, store them, and thus broaden reach with consumers.

The integration with VTEX allowed Unilever to synchronize data and exchange information between its ecommerce and other internal systems, such as CRM and ERP, thus facilitating the management and optimization of the customer experience.

Optimizing Digital Strategies with the Customer at the Center

Within the VTEX portfolio, some implemented core modules were:

• VTEX’s out-of-the-box CMS, which allows for keeping content constantly updated and creating customized graphic components to highlight launches, offers, and promotions, improving user experience
• The Order Management module provides detailed information by SKU associated with each order, including applied promotions, facilitating precise tracking and analysis of offer performance and market penetration.
• The Collections module allows the creation of temporary groupings of products to facilitate association with campaign launches, improving visibility and promotion of key stock.
• The Promotions module, where segmented promotional campaigns are generated more efficiently, boosting the execution of commercial strategies and sales impetus.

Results

The Unilever Benefits Club’s success is reflected in its results. With more than 700,000 accumulated sessions during 2023 and a 21% increase in transactions compared to the previous year, the platform has demonstrated its capacity to attract and retain customers.

The collaboration between Unilever and VTEX has marked a milestone in the evolution of ecommerce in Chile and has laid the foundations for a more personalized and rewarding online shopping experience for consumers.

With a conversion rate of 5.2% in 2022 and an increase of 194% in registrations in 2023, Unilever is reaping the fruits of its customer-centric and digital innovation approach.

All data and information were provided and approved by the Unilever Benefits Club.