Blain’s Farm & Fleet

Doug Williams

Can you walk me through your roles and responsibilities as the director of e-commerce and digital at Blain’s Farm & Fleet?

I’ve been on this platform for about 20 years. My responsibilities are in E-commerce and digital marketing. The e-commerce part revolves around user experience and user interface, where I work with the IT team and the agency that manages our website in terms of how it looks, merchandising on the website, and any added features and functionalities. In contrast, my digital marketing responsibilities encompass driving traffic and conversion to the website through impactful channels like paid search, organic affiliates, email, and many more.

I manage paid digital channels, so I must be meticulous about how we run these efficiently, especially Google or paid searches. We want to drive the top line, but at the same time, we need to be careful about the bottom line. So there’s a balance of what we can do to ensure desired performance and what we are doing to align our operations with the real-time changes in the market and customer behavior.

What are some of the most prominent challenges you see in the market today? Can you walk me through the trends and challenges existing in e-commerce marketing?

The first challenge for our company is the inflation or current economic conditions. We sell various products, from $39.99 snacks to riding lawnmowers, which cost around $2,000 to $3,000. We are very seasonal and have a wide variety of items purchased in the winter season, like snow blowers, snow removal equipment, and cold-weather clothing, among others. Due to the inflation rates, people are pulling back on purchases that may impact their financial stability.

The second challenge is the lingering supply chain issues resulting from COVID, which have significantly impacted manufacturers and shifted their priorities from producing products that were popular before the pandemic to newer offerings that have grown in relevance since March 2020. Even on the consumer side, buying behaviors have transitioned from durable goods to more consumables. We sell both, but this change affects our AOV (Average Order Value) and revenue across the board.

“If you understand your customer base and have a 360° view of why, what, and how they purchase products, you can drive better business outcomes”  

How do you address these challenges? Is there a methodology or process that you take?

We control how we communicate with our nationwide clientele because we are a regional brick-and-mortar store that can ship products nationally. We use global promotions, primarily shipping promotions, to drive revenue. We also use special pricing on particular items and categories. For example, if we have excess inventory in winter goods, we may push special pricing to drive revenue and help our customers, who couldn’t afford these products at full price, to procure desired items. We use all available digital channels like paid search, email, organic, text messaging affiliates, and many more.

What are the upcoming trends to look out for, and how have you positioned your company to address those trends?

The trend that consumers are looking for is better pricing. In the new normal, numerous consumers don’t have the disposable income they used to have, so they only spend a little. Inflation will not subside in the next 12 months, and this trend will continue. In light of this, we expect a reduced disposable income among our customer base. Mitigating this, we use promotions and discounts to offer better pricing without lowering our margins, simultaneously driving sales and meeting consumer needs. Consumers also look for ease of purchase powered by seamless and straightforward payment options like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and BNPL, among others. For instance, our customers may not be able to buy a $2,500 tiller at full price, but through BNPL options, they can buy it in installments, where they only have to pay $500 or $600 a month.

What is your advice to your peers and aspiring professionals looking to tackle these challenges and upcoming trends?

The biggest thing is to know your customer, build that database, study what they are doing, and analyze the trends and current economic conditions in the country. Making pivots between digital platforms and brick-and-mortar stores regarding pricing, promotion, and customer preferences can help you gain a deeper understanding of the market and drive well-formed decision-making.

In my opinion, if you understand your customer base and have a 360° view of why, what, and how they purchase products, you can drive better business outcomes. In the current marketplace, success is more than just about selling more; it is about understanding your customer to meet their need.