Building loyalty from the start

The reach of Zurich-based multinational company ABB — known worldwide for robotics, power, electrical equipment, and automation technology — is as deep as it is broad. The company’s rich history spans the globe, with builders, contractors, and consumers using ABB’s extensive electrical product lines as their go-to source for equipment to support projects of all types and sizes.

Brazil has long been an important market for ABB, and soon after it opened its first plant in Guarulhos, São Paulo in 1954, the company’s components became the preferred choice of local contractors and engineers. Today, ABB products are used in many of Brazil’s most iconic sites, including the Bondinho — the impressive cable car running 1,400 meters to the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro — and the city’s world-famous Maracanã stadium, site of two FIFA World Cups. They’re also found in more modest projects such as Brazilian homes, offices, and industrial facilities.

One reason for ABB’s popularity is its focus on innovation. The company is often first to market with products distinguished by their advanced technologies. ABB’s commitment to innovation also extends to how it serves customers and engages with distributors through a dynamic digital marketplace built on Adobe Commerce, part of Adobe Experience Cloud.

New ways to reach traditional audiences

Brazilian customers historically purchased ABB equipment by visiting local distributors. However, in-store visits can consume valuable time that is better spent on more productive activities — for example, a contractor engaging with clients or remaining on-site to ensure timely project completion.

Additionally, while homeowners might go to a distributor to buy ABB switches or sockets for their living rooms or kitchens, the company realized there were more responsive, accessible ways to serve a growing customer base.

Leonardo Correa, Distribution Channel Manager for ABB Brazil, saw the potential to reach more Brazilians as he worked out plans for ABB Loja Online — the ABB Online Marketplace, a comprehensive online electrical products site serving people nationwide.

“Brazil is a vast country, and not all of our customers have easy access to ABB distributors,” explains Correa. “In addition, the way they want to find, purchase, and receive products is changing. We wanted to offer a convenient digital marketplace to meet all of our customers’ needs regardless of where they are.”

Creating a leading resource for electrical products

ABB standardized on Adobe Commerce to create a dynamic e-commerce experience highlighting the company’s latest products and simplifying the ordering process.

ABB chose Adobe Commerce to serve as the marketplace’s e-commerce engine because of its global reputation and the fact it offered all the tools and features — including Page Builder, Visual Merchandiser, Order Management, and reporting and customization options — required to deliver a dynamic virtual shop front and streamlined customer buying experience. “By choosing Adobe Commerce, we didn’t have to develop separate, costly digital platforms to serve B2B and B2C customers,” explains Correa. “We got the best of both worlds rolled into one.”

To meet evolving customer expectations and offer the broadest assortment of products available, ABB extended its e-commerce through a marketplace of third-party products and high-quality sellers. Adobe Commerce integrated seamlessly via a prebuilt connector with Mirakl Marketplace Platform, which supports back-end marketplace processes such as catalog management, third-party seller onboarding and management, order workflows, pricing and commissions, and customer service.

“The synergies between Adobe Commerce and Mirakl enabled ABB to launch its marketplace even faster and grow the new channel with more confidence,” says Art Boyd, Senior Vice President of Growth Partnerships at Mirakl. “The data from both applications offers the insight into customer needs and buying habits that can be used to continually evolve ABB’s marketplace and services.”

Critically, the cloud-based Adobe Commerce applications, coupled with Mirakl Marketplace Platform, offer ABB the scalability to roll out the marketplace to other countries in the future. An additional benefit of standardizing on Adobe Commerce was ABB’s long-standing relationship with Adobe; the company simply added Adobe Commerce to its existing contract for Experience Cloud applications.

The successful implementation of Adobe Commerce and Mirakl Marketplace at ABB was supported by Adobe Gold Partner McFadyen Digital, a leading global strategic commerce agency. “The shared expertise and close partnership across McFadyen, Mirakl, and Adobe gives ABB a dynamic foundation to scale its e-commerce and marketplace environment to meet their needs now and into the future,” says Tom McFadyen, President and CEO of McFadyen Digital.

Personalized, responsive services

Three years after it was launched, many Brazilians have made ABB Online Marketplace their first stop for electrical supplies and advice. They can browse the company’s electrical product lines, compare prices, add their selections to a shopping cart, and check out quickly.

Purchases are fulfilled by the ABB distributor of their choice and shipped to an office, job site, home, or other specified location. Through the marketplace, customers can also request a price quote, pose questions to ABB technical experts, or engage with ABB customer service representatives.

“Buyers often have a lot of questions about electrical product specifications or steps for installation,” says Correa. “Through our digital experience built on Adobe Commerce, we can offer the same type of responsive, hands-on services online that customers typically get in store.”

Because many customers are unfamiliar with the components required to complete a typical wiring job, ABB used Adobe Commerce to develop a specification tool that automatically bundles all necessary accessories — including covers, sockets, and mounting plates — into a shopping cart whenever a customer selects a switch.

These smart approaches to online services are paying off: site traffic, sales, and loyalty rates have significantly increased year-over year, with sales in the first quarter of 2021 equaling all of 2020.

Success in Brazil energizes global effort

“It’s been rewarding to see our vision come to life,” says Correa. “With the help of Adobe Commerce and MIrakl, ABB Online Marketplace has become a popular tool that customers across Brazil use daily. Its ease of use and interactive experiences keep people coming back, and demand for our products increasing.”

Due to its success in Brazil, ABB Online Marketplace attracted the attention and support of senior ABB leaders worldwide. As a next step, the company is extending a similar approach to e-commerce in India, with other markets to follow.

“There’s no better illustration of how ABB empowers local markets to fuel global innovation than our work in Brazil with Adobe Commerce and Mirakl,” says Correa. “ABB Online Marketplace sets a new benchmark for how ABB can use digital to drive sales. We’re happy it was born in Brazil.”

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