The Context

Zumiez is a leading global retailer of lifestyle and sports brands. With Black Friday 2024 fast approaching—a prime time for new account sign-ups and sales—Zumiez realized they needed a seamless user authentication solution to maximize their digital potential.

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The Challenge

Zumiez faced a tedious authentication experience that negatively impacted their users.

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• The Threat: Friction in their authentication process was actively driving potential customers away.
• The Bottleneck: The password-based login and registration process was cumbersome for end users. This led to high login failure rates, frequent customer support inquiries, and negative app store reviews from users unable to log in or reset passwords.
• The Goal: To replace the password-based friction with a seamless user authentication solution before the peak holiday shopping season.

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The Solution

To address this, Zumiez partnered with Unico, launching the new system on November 7th. Zumiez chose Unico Elite to modernize its authentication system, enabling passwordless login through passkeys and biometric authentication. This solution delivers a seamless and intuitive experience across both desktop and mobile, ensuring users can login effortlessly on any device.

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The Impact

Unico's frictionless authentication led to immediate impact, exceptional adoption rates, and a seamless shopping experience.

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• Rapid User Adoption: Within two weeks of goinglive, 56% of Zumiez users embraced biometric authentication. Three months later, that number grew to 60%, demonstrating a strong performance for passwordless login.
• High Returning Engagement: 66% of returning users now prefer biometric login over passwords.
• Support Efficiency: Authentication-related support tickets decreased by 80%. These tickets dropped from the second most common inquiry down to the 17th, which freed up customer service resources for higher-value interactions.

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The Horizon

The seamless integration and customer-first approach of Unico have set a new standard for retail login experiences. With Unico in place, Zumiez is now doubling down on app adoption and loyalty initiatives. By leveraging this improved authentication experience, the company is positioned to drive long-term customer retention and revenue growth.

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