Customer Experience is Key for SVP Karen Cardin

Karen Cardin was promoted to Senior Vice President of eCommerce December 2016. During her 24 years at the Exchange, she has served as vice president of merchandising, eCommerce operations, hardlines and specialty/store consumables.

What are your top priorities as SVP E-commerce?

The top priority of the Exchange is the launch of the Veterans online shopping benefit in 2017. Preparing for this endeavor has been a multiyear process and takes exceptional teamwork across the organization. The Exchange has the potential to welcome home 13 million honorably discharged Veterans on Nov. 11, and continue to provide a benefit for their service. To ensure the best customer experience, the next phase of shopmyexchange.com upgrades are planned for 2017 and 2018

Can you explain what the eCommerce/customer experience team does for the Exchange?    

The eCommerce/customer experience team consists of the e-commerce store functions and the omni-channel marketing functions for the Exchange. It is paramount for customers to have the same seamless and frictionless experience no matter how they choose to shop—brick and mortar, website or mobile.     

David Lemons, VP eCom merchandise and operations, is leading the charge on customer service. His team works closely with IT to ensure the website is updated with the latest customer-friendly features and is operationally sound for internal customers (finance, MILITARY STAR_®, etc.). The team has led implementation of the Ship from Store initiative, now reaching 26 CONUS stores and KMCC. Ship from Store allows the fulfillment of customer orders out of the closest store’s inventory, shortening delivery time and cost.

Brad Nash, VP omni-channel marketing, is leaning forward with our one voice vision for our customers. Brad and his team are ensuring that customers receive one voice/one message across all channels — weekly tabloids, website promotions, store signage and social media. They are responsible for the look and feel of the shopping website.

Do you expect any challenges in 2107, and how do you plan to overcome them? 

The Veterans online shopping benefit initiative is our top challenge, but we are ready! The potential to increase the dividends for our Soldiers and Airmen is incredibly important. The eCommerce team, in conjunction with the IT team, will launch a new Oracle platform in July to support shopmyexchange.com. This platform will set the foundation for growth as we move into the future. It will give us near real-time inventory, with better customer order fulfillment from the closest location. Also, we will have a responsive design so our mobile experience will be much more customer friendly and easier to update as customer demand changes. Currently 45 percent of our shoppers use a mobile device to purchase online.        

Is there anything else you would like associates to know about you and your plans for the team?

The eCommerce and Marketing are ready for any challenge. They continue to grow and adapt as the Exchange business rapidly changes to better serve our customers.

Websites are always evolving. To keep up, we will update the look and feel of shopmyexchange.com and upgrade to a new order management system in the near future. These changes will give the customers the shopping environment they crave.

I have a strong commitment to this company and those we serve. I come from a family with a military history; we have generations who have served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. The customers we support have made a lifetime commitment to serve this country, and I consider it my honor to serve them.

The Exchange family is made up of remarkable people who go above and beyond expectations.