How Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut gains 10k members and doubles average order value in 2 years

Born from a mother's love and dedication, Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut was Cindy Chu's answer in 2016 to the lack of natural solutions for children with eczema. From its humble beginnings as a niche online store, it has flourished into eight retail locations across Hong Kong. Explore their successful strategies of building trust, fostering loyalty, and leveraging omnichannel rewards and conversational marketing to create a community of satisfied customers who keep coming back for more.

The challenge of expanding e-commerce to retail

Online and in-store shopping experiences were disjointed

When Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut first ventured into retail, their online store and physical outlets operated separately. This resulted in inconsistencies in product offerings, promotions, and loyalty benefits between the two channels. For instance, points earned online couldn't be used in the physical stores, and store staff didn't actively promote the online shop.

Lack of insights into customer purchases

The brand used paper records for sales transactions in their physical stores, which made it difficult to efficiently collect and analyze customer data. A significant challenge was when retail customers inquired online about product instructions. The team struggled to sift through stacks of paper receipts and provide relevant advice without referencing a complete customer profile that included past purchase details.

Overwhelming volume of messages for one person

As the brand grew in popularity, so did the number of customer inquiries, especially on WhatsApp. Initially, one person responded to all these messages. However, this approach became unsustainable as inquiries from over 100 new customers poured in every day.

The solution provided by Wave Commerce and SleekFlow

Seeking to merge the best of both their offline and online stores—such as the personalized touch of retail advice and their online loyalty program—Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut has turned to an omnichannel solution. They have partnered with Wave Commerce to create a Shopify store, leveraging its customizable storefront and extensive partner network, including SleekFlow and OMNI, to create a bespoke customer experience.

SleekFlow and Wave Commerce share a common goal: helping brands elevate their digital customer experience. Given the importance of an omnichannel loyalty experience to Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut, it makes perfect sense for us to collaborate with SleekFlow.

Stuart Hsiao

Wave Commerce

1. Earn and redeem points the same way wherever customers are

First, the brand has integrated OMNI into their Shopify POS, an omnichannel customer loyalty solution developed by Wave Commerce, designed to seamlessly connect online and offline shopping experiences. Whether customers shop on the website or in a physical store, they can earn points and advance to higher VIP levels with each purchase.  Furthermore, OMNI attributes new member accounts to store staff, enabling them to earn commissions on future online orders from customers they've referred.

2. Get personalized and timely membership updates on WhatsApp 

Besides, Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut prioritizes engaging with customers on their preferred platforms. They have integrated OMNI with SleekFlow to create advanced automated flows for sending timely WhatsApp notifications. When a member redeems a reward, upgrades their membership tier, or has points nearing expiration, they receive an automated WhatsApp message detailing the changes.

With OMNI, we merge online and offline shopping while prioritizing engaging customers where they prefer. The integration of OMNI and SleekFlow is central to this seamless experience, highlighted by SleekFlow's exceptional social commerce and WhatsApp features.

Stuart Hsiao

Wave Commerce

3. Boost social media reviews by engaging shoppers on WhatsApp

Beyond just transactional updates, the brand also has made use of SleekFlow's native integration with Shopify to automatically send customer surveys once a Shopify purchase is completed. These messages encourage customers to leave public reviews on Google and Facebook in exchange for discounts. This way, the brand immediately connects with customers, fostering a sense of closeness right after their first purchase.

4. Get side-by-side view of customer profile and conversation history

When customers further engage with the brand on WhatsApp, the customer service team can see their recent purchase, loyalty details, past orders, and shipping updates within their SleekFlow conversations. These comprehensive customer profiles have enabled the team to offer tailored advice, solicit product feedback, and better anticipate customer needs. Additionally, managers can understand customer satisfaction with both the in-store staff and online customer service, ensuring top-notch service across all touchpoints.

5. Send personalized promotions to targeted segments

The brand also runs targeted promotional campaigns, particularly during festive seasons. By segmenting loyal customers based on factors like skin condition, loyalty tier, product preferences, and other demographic details, each customer is treated to personalized offers, making them feel truly valued and special.

Customers often start by buying one product, then they're hooked - for their kids, themselves, and they even recommend the brand to friends. OMNI and SleekFlow's solutions truly make a difference in cultivating long-term loyalty.

Cindy Chu

Founder of Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut

2X average order value through cultivating loyalty

With the solutions from SleekFlow and OMNI, Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut has refined its operations, now adeptly engaging with over 10,000 loyal customers through robust automations. By prioritizing customer loyalty, the brand has witnessed remarkable results: a 2X surge in the average order value and a 50% increase in total sales, spanning both online and offline channels.  Many customers who feel treated like VIPs passionately advocate for the brand to their loved ones.

With SleekFlow, we can swiftly access customer data and offer tailored recommendations. As a result, the average spend of our loyal customers has doubled over two years.

Cindy Chu

Founder of Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut

About Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut

Founded by a chemical engineer with a specialization in cosmetic science, Ms. Chu Soap & Beaut emerged from a personal quest for safe and effective skincare. Passionate about green chemicals, the founder was driven to create her own solution when her baby suffered from persistent eczema. Drawing from her expertise and extensive research, she formulated a natural baby balm that provided immediate relief and healed the eczema in just a few days. Starting with a few products sold online, the brand has since expanded to offer 60-70 unique items across 8 outlets. What began as a solo endeavor has grown into a team of over 30, united by their commitment to nurturing customer relationships and ensuring satisfaction.