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Case Study: A Bengaluru-based GCC is the ‘Secret’ to VS&Co.’s Global Triumph
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An iconic global brand synonymous with intimate fashion, Victoria’s Secret (VS&Co.) was founded by Roy and Gaye Raymond in 1977, with the launch of its maiden store in Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California. Today, VS&Co comprises two market-leading brands. Victoria’s Secret and PINK, employing more than 30,000 associates across a global footprint of approximately 1,360 retail stores in approximately 70 countries.
The Challenges
VS&Co. recognized the potential of India’s highly skilled technical talent pool to fuel its global digital transformation strategy. However, establishing a foothold in a new market presented significant challenges:
- Limited local expertise: Understanding recruitment practices, compensation, and employer branding was crucial but unfamiliar territory for VS&Co.
- Regulatory complexities: Navigating India’s compliance landscape required specialized knowledge and expertise.
- Finding the right talent: Locating a pre-existing network to source and attract top-tier tech talent familiar with the specific needs of the retail fashion industry.
VS&Co.’s partnership with ANSR addressed these challenges, ensuring they could attract talent and set up a thriving GCC in India.
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Our Solution
Recognizing the challenges, VS&Co. forged a strategic partnership with ANSR to leverage a comprehensive and integrated solution. This went far beyond just recruitment, encompassing all aspects of setting up and managing a successful GCC in Bengaluru.
Building a Strong Foundation
- Legal entity setup: With a special focus on ensuring legal compliance, our team of legal experts navigated the intricacies of Indian regulations to ensure a smooth and compliant establishment of VS&Co.’s legal entity. Our business support experts also assisted with entity structuring, registration, licensing, and documentation, offering comprehensive compliance and regulatory support.
- Workspace establishment: The team efficiently secured a tailored workspace with integrated IT solutions that not only emulated the culture of the HQ but also encouraged collaboration and innovation allowing VS&Co.’s India team to hit the ground running.
Strategic Talent Acquisition
- Recruiting skilled talent: Leveraging our deep understanding of the Indian tech talent landscape and our industry-leading AI fitment engine, ANSR meticulously sourced and shortlisted top-tier candidates with the specific skills and experience required for the specialty fashion retail industry. This rigorous screening process, considering hundreds of parameters, resulted in an impressive 90% accuracy rate in candidate selection, significantly reducing time-to-hire.
- Onboarding and HR management: Our comprehensive HR solution included handling employment contracts, payroll processing, statutory benefits administration, and a seamless onboarding experience for all recruited personnel.
A Holistic Approach
- ANSR’s commitment extends beyond setup and talent acquisition. We provided ongoing governance and management support, ensuring VS&Co.’s continued compliance with local regulations. This ensured VS&Co. has a solid foundation for its GCC operation in India, freeing them to focus on driving business innovation with the support of their high-performing team. With the GCC handling core operational tasks and regulatory complexities, VS&Co. could concentrate on strategic initiatives that shape the industry narrative.
VS&Co. GCC’s Global Impact
Today the Bengaluru GCC has become a silent powerhouse, driving the company’s digital transformation. This 630-strong tech team boosts innovation across key tech areas that power VS&Co.’s success.
- Building a customer-centric experience engine: Leveraging state-of-the-art experience centers and cutting-edge Point-of-Sale (POS) labs, the India team conducts user testing and feedback loops, ensuring VS&Co.’s technology seamlessly integrates with customer needs. This translates to a frictionless and delightful shopping journey across VS&Co.’s web and mobile eCommerce platforms.
- Transforming retail with tech innovation: The India team has spearheaded the development of innovative self-checkout kiosks, transforming the in-store checkout experience. This streamlines the customer journey and optimizes store design, maximizing product visibility and impact. The store management and design teams play an integral role in the company’s global expansion strategy, from designing the initial planograms to the overall layout of the store, including the placement of aisles, product displays, checkout counters, and other essential elements.
- Securing global operations with robust infrastructure: The India-based shared services team is the backbone of their global operations – ensuring seamless functionality and reliability through rigorous manual and automated testing processes. Additionally, the team manages crucial financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, and financial planning and analysis (FPA), with robust tech infrastructure.
Results & Impact
Strategic Deep-tech
Hub
Driving advancements in user experience, e-commerce platforms, store design, and global expansion strategies.
Lynchpin of Global Operations
The team manages crucial financial tasks – budgeting, accounting, and FPA, ensuring financial transparency, informed decision-making, and ultimately, a strong foundation for global growth.
