SHOP.CA

SHOP.CA is an online retail store based in Toronto, Ontario. Launching in May 2012, it will become the largest online shopping destination in Canada, with over 15 million products in 26 categories. The company offers one-stop shopping across multiple brands and retailers. Their loyalty program, SHOP.CA Rewards , offers scaling benefits that increase based on purchase volume or social media sharing activities. The company's rewards program is unique in that Rewards are offered for every purchase made on site, with no exceptions.
Company history
Inception
SHOP.CA was founded by Drew Green and Trevor Newell in 2011. The idea came to him three years earlier: while on working in New York City. He began shopping extensively online and saw a large discrepancy between the online shopping experience in the United States compared to his native Canada. Initial research revealed that while Canadians’ online spending was second in the world (behind South Korea), the top online shopping destinations were predominantly in the United States. As a result, individual Canadian purchases were subject to poor shipping and returns policies, brokerage and duty fees, additional taxes, and delayed delivery.
In 2009, Green saw that the Canadian eCommerce landscape was beginning to change, with retailers making significant investments in online infrastructure and front end technology.
Company milestones
After almost two years of planning, research and set-up, SHOP.CA launched full time operations in July 2011, when Drew Green and Trevor Newell officially launched the company. Shortly after, they brought in Gary Black, former General Manager at CDC eCommerce, as chief technology officer. They began to develop their vendor network quickly, and within a couple of months, they had worked with IBM, ensuring an industry leading eCommerce platform on which to build. By October, they completed the IP for their vendor management system, Supplier World. Vendor response to the project exceeded expectation, and by April 2012, the catalogue reached 15 million individual products.
The SHOP.CA prelaunch website was released in March 2012 along with a prelaunch marketing campaign. SHOP.CA is scheduled to launch in May 2012. Even before the formal launch date, the company was being grouped with Amazon.com and eBay as one of the "major players in the consumer e-commerce market."
Products
SHOP.CA is an online marketplace that had 15 million products in 26 categories as of April 2012. At launch, they will carry a wide selection of clothing and apparel, books, movies, household goods and appliances, and a dedicated travel agency.
Business model
SHOP.CA is an online marketplace, with a single checkout, a single account and an extensive loyalty program that spans across all products and services. The SHOP.CA Social Loyalty Network rewards customers based on social activities, such as rating products, writing reviews, submitting video reviews, recommending products and more. Top sharers will earn up to 2.5% of all purchases back in SHOP.CA Rewards . According to cmo Mark Daprato, “The real excitement that we have about this is not just the products that we have, but also the ability to make it fun.”
The company's customer service philosophy is based on the unrelenting pursuit of customer happiness. Trevor Newell, co-founder, states, “We want SHOP.CA to be easy and fun, a place where you can buy with confidence from fellow Canadians who are dedicated to fostering your happiness. This is why we designed SHOP.CA to make it easy for you to find everything you need. We made shipping and returns free so you can relax and know that there won't be any extra costs if you need to send something back.”
The Company offers free shipping on the vast majority of products and up to 365-day no fuss return policy.
Advisors
The company's advisory board includes a number of notable financial and business experts, such as brand ambassador Rana Florida (CEO, the Creative Class Group), Ed Crain (President and CEO, Kingstar Direct) and Michael Tait (founder of Core Gen Capital). The board is chaired by author Don Tapscott
Company culture and core values
Drew Green and Trevor Newell founded SHOP.CA to realize their vision of creating something special for Canadians, by Canadians, and in doing so, significantly improving the online buying experience in Canada.
Green says: “We will introduce a unique Canadian experience that combines an authoritative selection of products across 25+ categories, unparalleled service that includes free shipping and free returns, a proprietary social loyalty program that rewards members on every purchase, plus the added fun of allowing members to earn points for sharing - all at a cash back rate higher than ever launched in Canada through any other loyalty program.”<ref name="shop" />

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