Dive Brief:

• Thule Inc., Sweden-based Thule Group’s U.S. outlet, makes popular ski and cycling gear from car racks for bikes and skis to baby carriages for joggers that are popular with consumers.

• Since November 2012, 80% of Thule’s B2B customers order and track orders online — up from just 10% before it made ordering online easier for dealers and wholesalers.

• Improvements included the adoption of an e-commerce platform from Insite Software, integrated with a content management system from Sitecore, as well as the selection of Nish Tech Inc. as web designer and system integrator, and integration with Oracle Corp. back-end business operations software.

Dive Insight:

Perhaps Thule Inc. was resting on its laurels, with customers consistently happy with the quality of its products, for which they have been willing to pay top dollar. But much-needed improvements to its e-commerce site has led to massive improvements to its customer interactions and a boost in sales, underscoring the importance of smooth e-commerce sales operations at all levels.