Customerfocused Digital Transformation IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Altar’d State
DIGITAL REPORT 2020
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Customerfocused Digital Transformation
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www.a l t a rdst a t e. com
ALTAR’D STATE
Ty Tastepe, Chief Information and Digital Officer at fashion retailer Altar’d State, on digital transformation and its response to COVID-19
T
y Tastepe is Chief Information and Digital Officer at Altar’d State, a fast-growing women’s fashion retailer, which sees
him leading its technology and digital teams. “We have three brands,” explains Tastepe. “We have A’Beautiful Soul, our plus size brand and Vow’d, our 04
recently launched weddings brand, as well as the flagship Altar’d State brand.” Tastepe emphasizes the fact that the company likes to do things differently from its competitors. “We’re very focused on giving back to the community, exceeding our guest expectations at every touch point, doing the right thing and being willing to challenge established notions in the retail industry.” Tastepe came to the role as an experienced technology leader having worked at Universal, Hilton and Disney to deliver innovative technologies around the globe. “Altar’d State gave me the opportunity to make an impact in the digital transformation of the organisation, as we focused on balancing our physical and digital portfolio and providing our guests the choice of platforms to engage with us.”
05
2009
Year founded
2,400 Number of employees
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ALTAR’D STATE
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“ We’re very focused on giving back to the community” — Ty Tastepe, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Altar’d State His approach to leadership has
a picture of the destination and really communicate the role of each team member on that journey,” says Tastepe. “Seeking a diversity of ideas and experiences, listening to input from partners both inside and outside the organization, staying positive and maintaining a can-do attitude, learning from failures, moving forward quickly and celebrat-
been solidified by the challenging
ing successes are really essential in
times caused by the ongoing COVID-
achieving the company’s goals.”
19 pandemic, which he believes made it
The company’s approach to
necessary to move more quickly on all
implementing new technology is
fronts. “I believe that to be an effective
guided by a clear strategy. “We have
leader one needs to be able to paint
looked at the digital transformation in
two ways. One is a set of technologies
explains. “We are starting to leverage
to enable our associates to reduce
AI in some places. For instance, we use
friction in their lives and to help them
technologies on our website to recom-
serve our guests better. And the sec-
mend products based on our customer
ond is another set of technologies that
history and choices. We are continuing
help us know our guests better and
to identify many more opportunities to
enable them to engage with us any-
leverage tools that help us make better
time and anywhere.”
decisions, AI being one of them.”
One such group of technologies is artificial intelligence, as Tastepe
It is data that is at the heart of the company’s decision making. “Frankly
E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :
Ty Tastepe
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Title: Chief Information and Digital Officer Company: Altar’d State Industry: Retail Location: Maryville, TN, USA Ty Tastepe serves as the Chief Information and Digital Officer for Altar’d State, and leads technology and digital teams to deliver exceptional digital experiences for guests and associates. Prior to Altar’d State, Ty spent almost two decades delivering large scale digital transformation programs at global entertainment and hospitality brands including Universal Parks and Resorts, Hilton Worldwide and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He earned an MBA from Villanova University and received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University.
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ALTAR’D STATE
the better we know our guests and the
provide the right tools to our asso-
more we are informed about what is
ciates so that they welcome the
happening in our business, the better
change and can help our guests. This
we can make adjustments and improve
is an area we can always do better
our business,” says Tastepe. “We look
in and it’s something I think about a
at hourly, daily and weekly metrics
lot. But I am impressed with how our
across many fronts to help our leaders
associates have responded to the
make decisions as quickly as possible.”
introduction of new technologies.
Tastepe is clear that such technolo-
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Although we’ve seen that can-do atti-
gies cannot be implemented without
tude in every corner of our business,
first being aware of how changes in
it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t focus on
technology might impact associates
change management, communication
and customers. “It’s important to
and training.”
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“ We look at hourly, daily and weekly metrics across many fronts to help our leaders make decisions” — Ty Tastepe, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Altar’d State
extensive evaluation process. The things we liked about them include their ability to combine customer
Altar’d State’s transformation has
data management, segmentation,
been enabled with the support of a
orchestration, and analytics. We
number of key technology and ser-
recently deployed the solution into
vice providers, both large household
production and we are continuing to
names and emerging companies.
learn and evolve our use of the tech-
One such partner is Exponea. “We
nology. That’ll teach us a lot more
selected Exponea as our customer
about our customers and how we
data platform provider after an
engage with them.” www.a l t a rdst a t e. com
“ I am impressed with how our associates have responded to the introduction of new technologies” — Ty Tastepe, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Altar’d State experience across all touchpoints. “That includes both our direct channels and third party channels. We’re deploying technologies to provide sinThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
gle visibility to our inventory in a near
has led to changes in customer behav-
real-time mode and manage orders
iour which Altar’d State is responding
across the ecosystem, both direct
to. “We’re emphasizing our digital
and indirect channels. That enables
investments but we’re continuing to
us to offer capabilities like buy online,
invest in our stores as well. We care
pickup in store.”
very much about the experience we
Such innovations stand the com-
provide to our guests in our stores,
pany in good stead to thrive in the new
and that will continue to be a key
normal, leaving Tastepe to conclude
component of our strategy. So it’s
that the future is bright for Altar’d
a balancing act between our digital
State. “We weathered the storm as
and physical presence.” That balanc-
well as can be expected and even
ing act dovetails with the company’s
launched our wedding brand in the
strategy to be present wherever its
middle of the year during the pan-
guests shop, to provide a seamless
demic. We will continue to listen to www.a l t a rdst a t e. com
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ALTAR’D STATE
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“ We will continue to listen to our guests and constantly adjust to shifting purchase patterns and evolving conditions” — Ty Tastepe, Chief Information and Digital Officer, Altar’d State our guests and constantly adjust to shifting purchase patterns and evolving conditions. The keys to success in such an environment are resilience, persistence, responsiveness, and ultimately taking care of our guests and associates. With those pillars in mind, we will continue to grow our business into the future.”
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ALTAR’D STATE 150 WEST CHURCH AVE. MARYVILLE TN 37801 T 865-268-3127 ty.tastepe@altardstate.com
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