Adyen partners with Michael Hill to help customers continue to celebrate life’s special moments

Adyen (AMS:ADYEN), the global payments platform, today announced that speciality jewellery retailer, Michael Hill, implemented its Pay by Link technology to support remote sales and facilitate the redeployment of store staff while stores across Australia, New Zealand and Canada were closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Since 1979, the jewellery master crafter has played a key role in helping its customers celebrate life’s big moments. With stores facing temporary closure, Michael Hill was determined to maintain its personal connection with customers and ensure that their special moments would continue to be celebrated during the lockdown. With a strong online store already in place, the jeweller needed a solution that would help it take payments directly from other channels like newsletters, shoppable catalogues, and virtual appointments with its customers.

Matt Keays, Chief Information Officer at Michael Hill, swiftly engaged Adyen to adapt and roll out Pay by Link technology. This enables customer payments via any contact channel, in a convenient, personal and secure manner, and ensured each store could recognise individual sales.

“Pay by Link went live in just over a week, and provided a variety of new sales channels for our stores – a fantastic result in such challenging times. It’s really helped us continue to deliver personalised jewellery experiences across this period,” said Andrea Slingsby, Chief Operating Officer at Michael Hill.

Michael Hill has seen a significant boost in sales from its digital business, with late April and early May sales outperforming the prior record digital sales week from Christmas 2019. Pay by Link transactions helped Michael Hill achieve those sales, and introduce direct selling. It’s also helped redeploy store staff into remote customer service and fulfilment roles.

“Thanks to the digital momentum we were able to transform our headquarters into a distribution centre,” said Vanessa Brennan, Chief Brand and Customer Officer at Michael Hill. “We implemented social distancing measures to ensure the health and safety of our staff, who have been at the site working to fulfil our online and Pay by Link orders. “With the success of the past weeks, we are looking to keep this direct sales channel as stores reopen,” Brennan added.

Michel van Aalten, Adyen Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand, said: “Pay by Link is quick, secure, incredibly simple, and allows our merchants to maintain the personal interactions that have helped them build customer loyalty. “Pay by Link has been a lifeline for retailers who needed to pivot their sales strategy after their brick-and-mortar stores closed during the lockdown,” he concluded.

About Michael Hill International

Michael Hill International was founded by Sir Michael Hill in 1979 when he opened his first jewellery store in Whangarei, New Zealand. The Group currently has nearly 300 stores globally across Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Group’s global headquarters, including its wholesale and manufacturing divisions, are located in Brisbane, Australia.Michael Hill remains one of the few jewellery retailers with an in-house team of master craftsmen – dedicated to creating future heirlooms and keepsakes while continuously perfecting their craft. For more than 30 years MHJ has shared its vision locally and globally with customers in New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and earned the reputation for quality jewellery along the way.