Case: Matas

Omnichannel-perfection

Matas is the queen of Danish e-commerce with a unique approach to closely integrating online and physical stores.

Listen to Matas talk about their journey with omnichannel

Matas is one of Denmark's largest webshops. They are the most popular Danish-owned webshop and have won numerous e-commerce awards, such as the Gold Prize at the E-commerce Awards in 2020 and most recently 2 golds and 2 silvers at the E-commerce Awards in 2023. Matas is a relentless omnichannel company that has managed to digitize their 263 stores to an unprecedented degree. The chain is steadily growing and particularly driven by the revenue from the online store.

From the backroom to the top of Danish e-commerce

Matas.dk started in a backroom in Fields. The online business constituted a microscopic part of the total revenue back in 2011. But these were the first humble steps towards a gigantic online success that no one had dared to predict.

Until 2018, online sales grew steadily, and the backroom in Fields was replaced by Matas' headquarters and the adjacent logistics center. However, online sales still only accounted for 4% of the total business, with sales of 100 million. Matas was still primarily a chain of physical stores.

With the merging of digital and physical stores, Matas is becoming a leader in omnichannel - with increased revenue and satisfied customers.

Explosive online growth following new strategy

In 2018, the starting signal was given for Matas' new and ambitious online strategy. There was to be even more investment in e-commerce and the integration with the stores. Since then, one omnichannel initiative after another has been launched, and the results have been fantastic. In 2020, Matas swept the board at the e-commerce awards and took home the prestigious gold prize. The following year, online sales increased to one billion Danish kroner.

The success story continues

Today, online sales account for 29% of the total business, and the share is steadily increasing. The physical stores and the webshop are becoming increasingly integrated in an ambitious omnichannel strategy. In the latest quarterly report, online revenue grew by 23%, and Matas grew by 8% as a unity. These figures testify to an incredibly strong brand that is performing far better than the rest of the market.

A long and fruitful collaboration

Since 2011, Hesehus and Matas have worked closely together to create the largest e-commerce success in Danish retail. It is a strategic partnership that has always aimed to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in e-commerce. Matas has consistently sought to optimize the customer journey and innovate with the latest technologies, and we have been their constant sparring partners, strategists, and developers when new customer benefits such as voice chat, live shopping, visual search, and most recently, AI initiatives needed to be developed.

Be inspired by Matas' initiatives across customer touchpoints - both in the store, on their customer app, and in their webshop.

”Hesehus is much more than a technical supplier of an IT system. It is a close partner that creates customer experiences, constantly raising the bar for what customers should experience overall when they visit Matas, both across our webshop and our stores."

Brian Andersen, E-commerce Director hos Matas

Skin test guides the customers

Customers can receive expert advice for their skin from the comfort of their sofa. Matas has launched an online skin test developed by skilled materialists and a chemical engineer. Through a series of questions, the customer’s skin type and condition are mapped out. The customer then receives recommendations for the optimal skincare routine with specific product suggestions that perfectly match their needs. These recommendations are linked to the customer's profile, enabling staff to assist the customer optimally – both in-store and when advising them online. This creates the foundation for optimal recommendations and unparalleled customer service.

Matas' skin test has been streamlined using AI, which analyzes and responds to customers' skin tests.

Constant innovation

Matas' success is partly due to their willingness to try new technologies and constantly strive to create better customer journeys. Over the past five years, Matas has, for example, added both voice and visual search, allowing customers to navigate and shop in new ways. Visual search, for instance, makes it possible to scan the products you already have at home with your phone's camera and find the same product again among Matas' thousands of items. Voice search integrates with Google's digital assistant, so you can browse Matas solely by using your voice.

In rapid development with AI

At the moment, we are developing several AI projects in collaboration with Matas. We are working on finding new methods that can ease the work with everything from customer service to data management. Our first project is live, and you can read much more about it below.

Visual search makes it possible to scan the products you already have at home with your phone's camera and find the same product again among Matas' thousands of items

AI initiatives optimize Matas' internal processes and customer journey.

AI provides faster and better answers on skin tests

We have also implemented a new AI feature that helps answer customers' skin tests. The artificial intelligence is trained based on 33,000 previous skin tests and significantly streamlines the process of responding to skin tests. It is not completely autonomous, as all responses are read and corrected by Matas' advisors, but it is a huge help that saves a lot of time on a routine task.

Connected retail

The smallest Matas store is also the largest Matas store. All stores have access to Matas' full online assortment, which is steadily growing. Even the largest Matas store cannot stock all items due to the enormous selection, but customers will never leave empty-handed. This has become especially evident after Matas rolled out their mobile POS systems. This means that the staff carry a shortcut to the entire enormous online assortment and to the customers' profiles. It makes it incredibly easy to order items directly to a customer, see their skin type, and tailor recommendations with the help of digital personalization and a gigantic online assortment.

Same-day delivery

Matas offers same-day delivery to a large portion of their customers. Thanks to new delivery methods, you can order a lipstick during your lunch break and have it in your handbag when you are on your way to a party in the evening. It is possible to get the item delivered right to your doorstep the same day if you live in the largest cities, and the option only appears on the webshop if you live in an area where it is available. It is fully automated lightning service.

Click & Collect

Matas is also incredibly fast with click & collect. They have ensured optimal conditions that allow the stores to pick and pack items they have in stock for you in under 20 minutes from the moment you click purchase. This means that you can barely reach the store before your items are 100% ready. Matas has optimized their stores so that it is incredibly simple to pack an order, but also extremely easy for the customer to pick up their package.

The app makes the store bigger

The Club Matas App is not just useful when you are shopping with your feet up at home. It also enhances your shopping experience when you are in the physical stores. With a single swipe, you can access detailed information about all the products you find in the store. You can scan any product and get the full product overview from the webshop, where you can read complete descriptions, reviews, and specifications.