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[Indigo Books & Music]

Customer Centricity Research Report

Sujal Dobariya

Sneha Shrestha

Man Hon Wong

Soniya Tamang

Subarna Chhetri

301304922

301328364

301306783

301306364

301292863

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

MGMT223

Customer Centric Strategy

The Business School, Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario

[Carolyn Van]

[2024-01-29]
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Customer Centricity at [Indigo Books & Music]

Indigo Books and Music Inc, also known as Indigo, is Canada's leading book and

music brand. The company provides a wide range of products such as books, music,

home decorations, toys, and gifts for people of all ages. Heather Reisman founded the

company in 1996. The company is customer-centric and values its customers, who are

the primary focus of the business. Looking at the company's mission statement and

goals, it is clear that they care about their customers by adding value to their lives by

creating an experience that helps them improve. They claim that they bring a little joy

into their customers' lives every time they buy their product, demonstrating their concern

for their customers. (Our Company | the Indigo Mission, 2024)

The has established itself in both the online and offline worlds. They have numerous

store locations and are present in all ten provinces of the country, making them one of

the largest book and home appliance brands in Canada. They communicate with their

customers in both online and traditional ways, such as displaying discounts or offers on

both the online and offline stores. Furthermore, they have an online portal, customer

service numbers, and a 24/7 chat to assist you and answer any questions you may

have about the company.

Furthermore, customers are aware of their rights and responsibilities because the

company has provided them on the company's website, in-store, and on the recipients,

so if they need to know about any rights or duties, they know where to look.

Indigo has strict policies regarding corporate social responsibility; they are an ethical

and legal entity that respects and values its customers and employees. (Our Company |

the Indigo Mission, 2024). They have mentioned on their online store that all of their
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employees, vendors, and third parties must follow the sticks code of conduct in order to

be a part of the company. All of this makes Indigo a customer-centric, customer-focused

company. (Employee Code of Conduct, 2024)

Three Company Customer Centric Initiatives

Initiative 1: Enhancement of Loyalty Rewards Program

To improve customer satisfaction and retention, Indigo Books and Music Inc. has

recently revised its loyalty reward program. In today's competitive retail environment,

the company knows how important customer loyalty is (Smith, 2022). The main

objective of the initiative is to offer customized incentives based on consumer

purchasing histories and preferences. In doing so, Indigo aims at creating a sense of

exclusivity and appreciation for its clients' continued support. The company's

commitment to providing value to its loyal customer base is supported by this customer

focused strategy, which also promotes repeat business and offering a more

personalized and satisfying experience. (CISION, OCT 27, 2027)

Initiative 2: Sustainable Practices and Eco-Friendly Packaging

In response to growing customer awareness and environmental concerns, Indigo

has launched a series of initiatives aimed at promoting environmentally friendly

practices, particularly in packaging (Green 2023). Switching to sustainable packaging

materials has reduced the company's impact on the environment. Indigo recognizes that

sustainability is a priority for many consumers nowadays when making purchases. In

addition to demonstrating the company's responsibility, this effort is also appealing to

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customers concerned about the environment. By aligning its activities with the values of

consumers, Indigo's customer centric image is enhanced by demonstrating a

commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.

Initiative 3: Shops that are inclusive and Symbolism in Products

The creation of happy, inviting environments that appeal to people of various

backgrounds is emphasized by Indigo. It appears like they are dedicated to making sure

that a wide range of clients feel welcome and at ease when they buy. At least 15% of

Indigo's shelf space will go to companies owned by people of color, as part of the

company's 15% Pledge. By representing the population, they serve, this suggests an

attempt to provide a wider variety of items. Both its online and physical platforms seek

to offer a welcoming and inclusive experience that reflects the variety of its customers.

Indigo actively shapes the retail experience to be friendly, inclusive, and representative

for all consumers, going above and beyond merely maintaining the organizational

environment.
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Customer Journey Map

Persona Description

Emma is single, has no children, graphic designer, has interests in reading, art, and

travel, seeking a book on graphic design techniques and inspiration for her projects,

prefers making purchases online but enjoys browsing in-store for a more tactile

experience.

Journey Map

The Buyer’s The Presale The Sale Post Sale

Perspective
How does the After the customer After the sale how
(Persona Above)
customer become has selected their does the customer
Aware of options? purchase what demonstrate
What do they occurs through the satisfaction, loyalty
Consider? purchase process? and advocacy?
Customer and Emma discovers Emma browses Emma shares her
Business Goals options through online Indigo's website, purchase on social
searches, social checks availability, media, writes a review
1. What does the media (especially compares prices, and on Indigo’s website,
customer platforms like reads customer and joins the Indigo
want to Instagram where reviews. She read rewards program for
achieve at visuals are some customer future purchases. She
each step in prominent), and reviews about the recommends Indigo to
the buying
recommendations slow shipping and friends.
journey?
from friends. She non-responsive
2. What is the
considers book online customer
Business trying
reviews, author service from Indigo
to achieve at
reputation, and looks (Trustpilot, n.d.). She
each step in
for books with a good decides to complete
the customer’s
buying blend of theory and her purchase online,
journey? practical examples. opting for store
pickup to combine
the convenience of
online shopping with
the experience of
visiting the store.

Customer Touchpoints: Online Touchpoints: Indigo's Touchpoints: Email

Touchpoints and searches, social website, customer notifications, social
media, and word-of- reviews, online media sharing, loyalty
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Experience mouth. payment system, and program.

in-store staff
1. What are the Experience: Experience:
interactions.
customer Excitement while Satisfaction with
touchpoints discovering options Experience: Ease purchase. Feel lacking
for this and convenience of engagement with the
purchasing online shopping. brand community
scenario? Enjoyable in-store
2. What is the shopping experience
customer (Google Review,
thinking and n.d.)
feeling at each
touchpoint?

Pain Points and Pain Points: Pain Points: Pain Points: Post-
Business Information overload, Navigational purchase engagement
Opportunities and difficulty in challenges on the might be lacking. The
filtering relevant website, and shipping customer community
1. Where did recommendations. delays. of Indigo is not as
things go active as its
wrong? Opportunities: Opportunities:
competitors, i.e. Kindle
2. How can the Improved targeted Enhanced website
Store, and Kobo.
business marketing, and UX design, and
improve the personalized book efficient shipping Opportunities:
customer recommendations. process. Engaging in post-
journey? purchase
communication,
incentives for
feedback, and social
sharing.

Customer Experience and Feedback

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During the presale experience, Emma faces information overload due to the vast

array of options and recommendations available online. This can make it challenging for

her to filter and decide what is most relevant to her interests and needs, potentially

leading to decision fatigue. Social media and word-of-mouth can mitigate information

overload by providing curated and trusted recommendations. Personalized suggestions

from friends or influencers on social media can help Emma filter through the vast

options, focusing on what's relevant and credible, thus making her decision process

more manageable and aligned with her interests.

The online shopping experience of Indigo has been heavily criticized by

customers (Trustpilot, n.d.) for its slow shipping and non-responsive online customer

service. However, the in-store experience has been considered positive by many

customers. (Google Review, n.d.). In the Sale phase, Emma's decision to opt for store

pickup despite challenges with online service reflects a customer-centric approach by

Indigo, offering alternatives to ensure satisfaction. This option allows Emma to bypass

shipping delays and enjoy a positive in-store experience, highlighting the importance of

flexible solutions in maintaining customer trust and loyalty, even when facing service

shortcomings online.

In the post-sale phase, Emma may feel the customer community at Indigo lacks

the vibrancy and interaction seen with competitors like the Amazon Kindle Store and

Kobo. This could impact her overall satisfaction and sense of belonging to a reader

community, which is crucial for fostering long-term loyalty and engagement with the

brand.

References
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Indigo Books & Music Inc. (n.d.-b). Employee code of conduct.

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/vendors-and-authors/employee-code-of-conduct/

Indigo Books & Music Inc. (n.d.-d). Our company | The Indigo Mission.

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/our-company/mission/

Indigo Books & Music Inc. (n.d.-b). Indigo - Chapters - Coles | Canada’s biggest bookstore.

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/

Roadmap to Zero: Indigo Details Bold Plan to Reach Net-Zero Emissions by 2035. (2021,

October 27). https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/roadmap-to-zero-indigo-details-

bold-plan-to-reach-net-zero-emissions-by-2035-845433222.html

Indigo gives its loyalty program a refresh. (2023, September 15). Strategy.

https://strategyonline.ca/2023/09/15/indigo-gives-its-loyalty-program-a-refresh/

Botha, C. (2023, May 29). The power of customer focus: building brand loyalty and growing

your business. Amplomedia. https://amplomedia.com/the-power-of-customer-focus-

building-brand-loyalty-and-growing-your-business/

INDIGO_Brochure-ESG-2023_EN.pdf. (2023). INDIGO_Brochure-ESG-2023_EN.pdf, 13.

https://www.group-indigo.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/INDIGO_Brochure-ESG-

2023_EN.pdf

Indigo Books & Music Inc. (n.d.). Diversity and inclusion.

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/diversity-and-inclusion/
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Google Review. (n.d.). Indigo—Yonge and Eglinton. Indigo - Yonge and Eglinton · 2300
Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4P 1E4. Retrieved January 27, 2024, from
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FxmbN7n3aa6YQzuf7
Trustpilot. (n.d.). Chapters Indigo. Trustpilot. Retrieved January 27, 2024, from
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/chapters.indigo.ca