BevMo, Sephora, American Eagle Outfitters turned to Retail Zipline in 2020 to drive store execution, ensure organizational agility and streamline communications between HQ and the fleet
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Retail Zipline, the operations platform that powers retail’s most complex work, announced the company has raised $30M in Series B funding led by Fifth Wall, with participation from Emergence Capital, Ridge Ventures, Hillsven Capital, Matt Wallach, co-founder of Veeva, and Robert J. Fisher. Dan Wenhold, a Partner at Fifth Wall, will join Retail Zipline’s Board of Directors and Matt Wallach will become an advisor. This news comes after a momentous year of more than doubling its customer-count with zero churn, converting 100% of pilot accounts and expanding into new regions and languages.
While the pandemic dramatically altered the state of the retail industry, Retail Zipline thrived because its customers and prospects found incredible value in its ability to align the fleet around a single source of information and easily reach all employees, down to the store associate. Retailers used Retail Zipline to drive health and safety compliance and streamline operations during the turbulent time.
“We were Retail Zipline’s first customer and have grown alongside them utilizing their platform as a vital asset for our business,” says Jessica Siwy of BevMo!. “When the pandemic first hit, we were already in a good position to be successful as their technology streamlined our communications and business operations. In large part because of our long-standing partnership with Retail Zipline, our business is now stronger than ever and has continued to thrive in 2021.”
As the only solution on the market that combines store communication and task management to drive flawless execution, top retailers like Sephora, AEO Inc., L.L.Bean, Hy-Vee Inc., Lush Cosmetics, BevMo!, Cole Haan, TOMS, Torrid, and others depend on Retail Zipline to keep teams connected on one platform, boost engagement and drive efficiency across each store. The new funding will be used to increase investment in verticals like pharmacy, grocery, and convenience stores. It will also be used to hire key strategic roles across all departments.
Melissa Wong, CEO, and co-founder of Retail Zipline says, “I am so happy that we were able to help so many brands thrive during the pandemic. I am looking forward to working with Fifth Wall and our other investors to continue to scale Retail Zipline so that more brands can have a stronger operational backbone. With operational strength comes the ability to engage store teams so that they feel empowered, move faster, and do more with less. We know this leads to better store execution and helps more associates love the work they do.”
“Communicating at scale in any industry can be challenging and this is especially true in the world of retail -- Retail Zipline presents a simple way for brands to streamline operations and engage employees on the frontlines,” said Dan Wenhold, Partner, Fifth Wall. “The Fifth Wall network is rich with opportunities for Retail Zipline to explore potential partnerships with our corporate partners -- some of the world’s largest owners and operators of real estate, including retail -- and with our retail portfolio companies. We look forward to working with Melissa and the Retail Zipline team to further scale the platform.”
“The pandemic and ensuing health regulations upended our operations and created stress for our teams due to evolving mandates,” said Corey Bouyea, Director Store Operations - U.S. Retail & Outlet Field Stores at L.L.Bean. “We turned to Retail Zipline to streamline our communications and have been blown away by how much better our stores execute. In the last 6 months alone, we jumped from #27 to #3 in NAPCO’s Health and Safety study of the top 100 Omni-Channel retailers. Best of all, our employees love it because it makes their jobs easier.”
Data from that same study reveals that Retail Zipline’s customers outperform non-Zipline customers across all areas of in-store safety and execution. If you are a retailer and would like to improve your operations, team productivity and engagement, please visit: https://www.retailzipline.com/
About Retail Zipline:
Retail Zipline is the leading communication and in-store execution platform for retailers. Built with the complexities of retail in mind, Retail Zipline helps HQ streamline and coordinate communications with the field, in a way that makes store teams happier and more productive.
The company received a Net Promoter Score of 78 and was recently named a Modern Retail Awards finalist for its use of technology in retail and Great Place to Work-Certified for its employee engagement, culture, and healthy work-life balance. To find open roles, please visit our career page.
