New Commerce Platform Helps Saddleback Leather Grow

Saddleback Leather, an online retailer of rugged leather bags, luggage, wallets and accessories, wanted to upgrade its website to grow its business. The company sought a platform that could both support its brand messaging and deliver an engaging online shopping experience that today's consumers have come to expect. It's chosen NetSuite's SuiteCommerce platform to help it achieve those goals.

In an interview with Retail Online Integration at the Shop.org Annual Summit this week in Seattle, John Bergquist, Saddleback Leather's direct of content and communications, and David Meidam, director of IT for Saddleback Leather, discuss the origins of the company and where it's headed, as well as why having a cloud-based commerce platform is valuable for its business.

Operating on a cloud-based commerce platform has helped Saddleback Leather to both support its brand messaging as a social manufacturer and deliver a seamless online shopping experience. In addition, the cloud-based platform has proven valuable in supporting Saddleback Leather's mobile workforce.

Being in the cloud prevents us from having our own IT infrastructure, Meidam said, noting that most of the company's staff works from home.

Since relaunching its website on SuiteCommerce in July, Saddleback Leather have seen its online sales increase while improving a number of other key metrics, including average time on site, page views per session, and a decrease in cart abandonment.

With the help of the SuiteCommerce platform, Saddleback Leather's business is growing steadily, with record success forecast for this coming holiday season. In fact, it's going so well that the online retailer is considering extending its reach into brick-and-mortar.

"One of the unique things about us is we've been online only, and just now for the first time we're starting to talk about opening a brick-and-mortar store, a place where bags can be seen," Bergquist said. "Very different from other organizations that started with brick-and-mortar."

In addition to its new website, Saddleback Leather has recently rolled out new product lines, including pet supplies and tablet cases. The diversification of the business has the company primed for future success.