This week RunwaySale announced a partnership with RCS, which means that its customers can buy goods from the online store using cards from the consumer finance group.
Although RCS cards can be used at some 20 000 retail locations around the country, means that RCS cardholders will be able to buy online for the first time.
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“A while ago we identified that online retail was a fast growing market segment. We understood that this convenient form of shopping was on a sharp incline and presented a great business opportunity,” says Regan Adams, COO of RCS. “So we developed an e-commerce solution to enable online shopping on the RCS card. However, when developing our ecommerce strategy, it was critical that we align with partners who shared our vision of making this possible for our customers. We are excited for RunwaySale to be our first e-commerce partner, which was a natural fit, given they are one of the largest online fashion retailers and share our ongoing commitment to bringing value to our customers.”
Founded in 2012, RunwaySale aims to provide a free members-only shopping experience which gives its users discounted prices on goods from high-profile brands including Polo, Pringle, Nine West, Bronx, Levi’s, Triumph and Forever New.
Read more: RunwaySale: selling high-end fashion in a flash
“This partnership opens up an entirely new online market for us and gives a wider consumer base the opportunity to buy affordable designer brands using their RCS credit facilities,” says Karl Hammerschmidt of RunwaySale.
“When we launched we were determined to offer a unique product and service in order to grow a loyal customer base. Our offering of discounted stock is sought after, as reflected in our membership growth and increased sales. We have doubled in size year on year with 80% of our shoppers being repeat purchasers – this underpins the success of online shopping within the retail space,” says Hammerschmidt. “From the outset we have strived to help South Africans save by shopping online. Payment solutions have traditionally been one of the biggest trust issues for customers, but with the addition of the RCS partnership we hope to further overcome this.”
According to Adams RCS has embarked on a number of omni-channel campaigns to inform its growing cardholder base of the acceptance of their cards online.
“We are delighted and excited that RCS has seen and recognised the development and expansion of online retail sales and was confident enough to partner with us in its first e-commerce payment venture. It may still be all new but we are already seeing membership growth and customer endorsement,” Hammerschmidt adds.
