The Tribune

A Bahamian retailer is embracing the paraellel worlds of ‘bricks and mortar’ and e-commerce, in a bid to provide shoppers with better service and convenience.

Bun In The Oven has established itself as an omni-channel experience. Its chief executive, Bianca Carter, said: “Bun In the Oven decided to embrace the omni-channel retailing model more than a year ago to adapt to the needs of the business.

“We believe it will allow us not only to drive revenue, but it also allows us to connect with our customers, giving them convenience and an ever better shopping experience. We want to give our customers what they want.”

Omni-channel shopping gives customers the choice of buying in a physical store or online. It creates a synonymous brand and shopping experience, with all shopping channels working from the same product database, prices and promotions.

Ms Carter added: “We want to be in business for the next 10 to 20 years, even 50 years. Business is changing all over the world: Why can’t Bahamian businesses be on par with the rest of the world? Bun in The Oven is a Bahamian business who wants to break down these barriers.”

Bun in the Oven was developed five years ago to offer Bahamian mothers safe, practical, and organic products, in addition to support classes such as breastfeeding, and infant CPR.

It also allows mothers to to network, share ideas and get valuable information, so that they can make the best choices for themselves and their baby without any pressure or guilt.

Ms Carter said: “In order to make the website a functional, Bahamian company, Karma Designs and Bun in the Oven had to locate web developers in Canada to develop a program that met the requirements of its managing financial institution.

“They had to work along with the Canadian technicians in order to make this happen. Bun in the Oven wants to provide an authentic, financially safe environment and experience like anywhere in the world. Our gift registry function can compete with the likes of Target, Babies R Us and others.”

The website is not linked to PayPal, but instead to Bun in the Oven, and its financial institution partner, Royal Bank of Canada.

Bahamian women will be able to make purchases with their Bahamian credit card, ancd also create, view and share their baby shower gift registries.

When Bahamian customers make purchases they will have the convenience of collecting their purchase in store at The Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza, while delivery can also be an option.

Shane Freedman, business development executive, said: “Bun in the Oven will make the jump across the pond and to the rest of the world, and the Internet will allow us to do this. We will not only push the brand here in Bahamas, but Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Trinidad and everywhere else in the world.

“With the global flurry of online shopping and e-commerce, we need to make it work at home first, with the hopes of establishing an international brick and mortar location.”