这家500强公司利用科技服务农村客户，销量逆势大涨
零售商Tractor Supply公司向农村市场的休闲农场主和牧场主销售饲料、割草机、鸡舍和宠物食品等商品，但在疫情期间，该公司却成了能够最灵活利用科技和电子商务的实体零售商。
该公司凭借这种能力排在了《财富》美国500强的第380位。其2019年的销售额高达83.5亿美元，成为因为新冠疫情受益最大的零售商之一。
该公司表示其预计截至本月末的季度销售额将增长24%至29%。在疫情封锁期间，Tractor Supply公司被视为是必不可少的，这对它而言当然是一种优势，但该公司在雄厚的基础之上大力发展技术，也提升了自身的实力。
在疫情爆发后的几天内，该公司就开始提供在线订单店内自提服务，同时还为客户提供了路边自提的无接触购物方案。百思买（Best Buy）和PetSmart等商店也提供了这种服务。为了进一步完善这两项自提服务，Tractor Supply还升级了官网。早在疫情爆发之初，该公司就迅速为员工配备了更先进的移动设备，让他们在店铺内可以随时随地为客户结账，避免了结账排队的现象。在人们都不愿意在店内长时间逗留的时期，这是一种很好的解决方案。
在今年1月上任的CEO哈尔·劳顿的领导下，Tractor Supply即将发布第一款移动购物应用。劳顿此前任梅西百货（Macy’s）董事长，还曾在eBay和家得宝（Home Depot）任职。
在6月3日召开的投资者电话会议上，劳顿说：“我们相信，在当前这种时期，强者会越强。我们将努力抓住此次危机带来的机遇。”
有人可能错误地以为农村和城市远郊的购物者不像城市购物者一样重视快速电商配送，但Tractor Supply却将这项服务放在首要位置。在疫情爆发之前，Tractor Supply已经开始在20%的门店提供当日配送服务。Tractor Supply旗下还包括美国第三大宠物用品连锁店PetSense。Tractor Supply与快递服务Roadie合作，在三周内将这项服务扩展到所有店铺，使其有能力与亚马逊（Amazon）和Chewy竞争，家得宝和劳氏（Lowe’s）更不在话下。
Tractor Supply在1938年创建于北达科他州迈诺特，目前总部位于纳什维尔附近，其出色的业绩在华尔街获得了丰厚的回报。自美国3月中旬施行封锁以来，Tractor Supply的股价上涨了92%，接近历史最高，使公司的市值达到140亿美元。
该公司旗下拥有1,800家同名连锁店，虽然产品种类繁多，但并非无所不包。该公司销售近15,000种商品，无法与家得宝和沃尔玛等超市大卖场相提并论。Tractor Supply门店的面积通常为15,000平方英尺，与CVS或沃尔格林（Walgreens）相当。以上特点意味着这些门店很容易让客户快速完成购物过程，这是目前客户最重视的体验。
劳顿说：“Tractor Supply公司的门店可不像其他大卖场一样让人望而生畏。”（财富中文网）
译者：Biz
零售商Tractor Supply公司向农村市场的休闲农场主和牧场主销售饲料、割草机、鸡舍和宠物食品等商品，但在疫情期间，该公司却成了能够最灵活利用科技和电子商务的实体零售商。
该公司凭借这种能力排在了《财富》美国500强的第380位。其2019年的销售额高达83.5亿美元，成为因为新冠疫情受益最大的零售商之一。
该公司表示其预计截至本月末的季度销售额将增长24%至29%。在疫情封锁期间，Tractor Supply公司被视为是必不可少的，这对它而言当然是一种优势，但该公司在雄厚的基础之上大力发展技术，也提升了自身的实力。
在疫情爆发后的几天内，该公司就开始提供在线订单店内自提服务，同时还为客户提供了路边自提的无接触购物方案。百思买（Best Buy）和PetSmart等商店也提供了这种服务。为了进一步完善这两项自提服务，Tractor Supply还升级了官网。早在疫情爆发之初，该公司就迅速为员工配备了更先进的移动设备，让他们在店铺内可以随时随地为客户结账，避免了结账排队的现象。在人们都不愿意在店内长时间逗留的时期，这是一种很好的解决方案。
在今年1月上任的CEO哈尔·劳顿的领导下，Tractor Supply即将发布第一款移动购物应用。劳顿此前任梅西百货（Macy’s）董事长，还曾在eBay和家得宝（Home Depot）任职。
在6月3日召开的投资者电话会议上，劳顿说：“我们相信，在当前这种时期，强者会越强。我们将努力抓住此次危机带来的机遇。”
有人可能错误地以为农村和城市远郊的购物者不像城市购物者一样重视快速电商配送，但Tractor Supply却将这项服务放在首要位置。在疫情爆发之前，Tractor Supply已经开始在20%的门店提供当日配送服务。Tractor Supply旗下还包括美国第三大宠物用品连锁店PetSense。Tractor Supply与快递服务Roadie合作，在三周内将这项服务扩展到所有店铺，使其有能力与亚马逊（Amazon）和Chewy竞争，家得宝和劳氏（Lowe’s）更不在话下。
Tractor Supply在1938年创建于北达科他州迈诺特，目前总部位于纳什维尔附近，其出色的业绩在华尔街获得了丰厚的回报。自美国3月中旬施行封锁以来，Tractor Supply的股价上涨了92%，接近历史最高，使公司的市值达到140亿美元。
该公司旗下拥有1,800家同名连锁店，虽然产品种类繁多，但并非无所不包。该公司销售近15,000种商品，无法与家得宝和沃尔玛等超市大卖场相提并论。Tractor Supply门店的面积通常为15,000平方英尺，与CVS或沃尔格林（Walgreens）相当。以上特点意味着这些门店很容易让客户快速完成购物过程，这是目前客户最重视的体验。
劳顿说：“Tractor Supply公司的门店可不像其他大卖场一样让人望而生畏。”（财富中文网）
译者：Biz
Tractor Supply Co might be a retailer selling things like livestock feed, lawnmowers, chicken coops, and pet food to recreational farmers and ranchers in rural markets, but it has emerged as one of the most deft brick-and-mortar retailers using technology and e-commerce during the current pandemic.
That prowess has led Tractor Supply, No. 380 on the Fortune 500 with 2019 sales of $8.35 billion, to be one of the big retail winners from the COVID-19 outbreak.
Last week, the company said it expects sales in the quarter ending late this month to be up between 24% and 29%. While being deemed essential during the lockdowns was an advantage, Tractor Supply has helped itself by going all in on tech, building on some already solid foundations.
While the company already offered in-store pickup for online orders, in just a matter of days at the start of the pandemic, it launched curbside pickup, a contactless option for customers that has also been implemented by stores like Best Buy and PetSmart. Tractor Supply is also relaunching its website to improve both pickup options. Early in the COVID-19 crisis, it quickly gave employees better mobile devices that let them bust checkout lines by ringing up customers from anywhere in the store, a great option at a time when people don't like lingering.
And under the leadership of its CEO since January, Hal Lawton, who had previously been the president of Macy's after stints at eBay and Home Depot, Tractor Supply is about to launch its first mobile shopping app.
"We believe the strong will get strong during this period of time, and we’re committed to capitalizing on the opportunities that this crisis presents," Lawton said on an investor call on June 3.
While some people might mistakenly believe think rural and exurban shoppers are less focused on fast e-commerce delivery than urban customers, Tractor Supply has made that a priority. Prior to the pandemic, Tractor Supply, which also operates PetSense, the third largest pet store chain, offered same-day delivery from 20% of its stores. Working with delivery service Roadie, the company ramped that up to the rest of its store fleet within three weeks, allowing Tractor Supply to compete effectively with Amazon and Chewy, not to mention Home Depot and Lowe's.
Tractor Supply, founded in 1938 in Minot, North Dakota and now based near Nashville, has been handsomely rewarded by Wall Street for its strong performance. Shares are up 92% since U.S. lockdowns started in mid-March and are near all-time highs, giving it a market capitalization of $14 billion.
The company, whose namesake chain has 1,800 stores, also benefits from having a lot of choice, but not endless varieties within its product categories. That includes nearly 15,000 items, a fraction of what big box stores like Home Depot and Walmart offer. And Tractor Supply stores are typically about 15,000 square feet in size, comparable to a CVS or a Walgreens. That means they are easy to navigate for a quick in-and-out trip, something customers prize right now.
"It’s not intimidating like the other big boxes out there are," said Lawton.
