U.S. Grocery Chain: Speeding Retail Digital Transformation with Hybrid Multicloud
In this case study
A U.S. grocery chain with more than 28 brands embarked on the digital transformation of its IT infrastructure to improve customers' overall in-store and digital shopping experience. As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, the retailer also needed to step up its online shopping and home delivery services.
To accomplish its objectives, the retailer merged two critical projects:
- Unify and optimize its network infrastructure and operations across all brands.
- Migrate hundreds of its 1,500 applications to the cloud and better capture and analyze customer interactions to transform their shopping experience.
Solution
Equinix and World Wide Technology (WWT) partnered to help the retailer refine and realize its vision. The companies worked to replace the retailer's legacy MPLS network with a Cisco® SD-WAN to connect its more than 2,200 retail stores to its data centers on Platform Equinix®. This brought all of its brands under a unified network that reduced networking bandwidth costs and operational complexity. Leveraging Equinix Performance Hub®, Equinix Internet Exchange™ and Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric® (ECX Fabric®), the retailer also expanded its network, internet and cloud interconnection capacity from single providers to multiple networks, ISPs and clouds, and improved its resiliency via a hybrid cloud infrastructure.
Benefits
The joint solution from Equinix and WWT provided the retailer with a nationwide SD-WAN and hybrid cloud infrastructure that delivered greater operational efficiency and customer intelligence. It also reduced its data center footprint and the overall cost of its IT infrastructure and network while lowering downtime.
Optimized digital infrastructure
Consolidating its multiple brands' networks and applications on Equinix's vendor-neutral interconnection and colocation data center platform, along with SD-WAN and hybrid cloud environments, the retailer could optimize its back-office applications and focus on delivering new applications and digital services to its customers.
Application migration to the best cloud
Leveraging ECX Fabric, the retailer moved more than 50 percent of its applications to best-in-class cloud/SaaS providers in less than 18 months. This improved business agility and created a consistent user experience across all of its brands and stores.
Customer intelligence
Regulations driven by the COVID-19 pandemic forced a significant amount of the company's business to no-touch pickup and home delivery. The hybrid cloud infrastructure enabled by ECX Fabric allowed it to gain greater visibility into customer buying behaviors, enabling new online and home delivery services.
Use cases
Direct-to-consumer
Online shopping is easier and more fluid and personalized than ever, allowing product owners to cut out the middleman and become their own distributors. Build an IT infrastructure that will help you create meaningful digital experiences that can shape your customer's real-world demands.
Brand loyalty
Mobile, web, custom applications, digital signage, email, social media, online catalogs, kiosks — all of these platforms represent an omnichannel marketing experience where you can consistently interact with your customers across all platforms. For example, translating a device ID to a person or persona allows you to craft and deliver a differentiated yet consistent experience across all channels.
Mobile presence
Today's busy consumers tend to engage only with apps that deliver relevant, timely and personalized content in an easy-to-consume, reliable format. Quickly develop and deliver applications that drive your business, from concept through deployment.
Shopping bottlenecks
When experiences aren't tailored to the expectations of today's consumers, they simply move on. Provide wireless, omnichannel experiences that can help customers seamlessly transition between digital and physical interactions with your business.