Shoppers using the online Esri Store since it launched several years ago have recognized that it’s not only a convenience but often a necessity. The Esri Store lets users buy additional licenses immediately—even after normal working hours—and easily place repeat orders, add users, or purchase ArcGIS Online credits. This digital buying experience allows users to buy what they need, when they need it, so that projects are not delayed.
While online shopping can create distance between a company and its customers, Esri has maintained its relationship-driven focus by balancing speed, convenience, and efficiency with personal support in its online store.
In its early days, the store was targeted to customers who wanted to buy personal-use and student-use licenses. Since then, a cross-divisional internal team has listened to user feedback to help make the Esri Store more robust. Nearly 100 products are available to users from organizations of all sizes and a myriad of industries. Esri stores are available in more than 27 countries and in more than 20 languages, with many more distributors scheduled to go online with stores in the next year.
In addition to must-have online store features such as product variety, clear pricing, and detailed product descriptions, there have been new customer-friendly innovations. The Build & Share Cart, launched in April 2023, is an assisted digital shopping experience, where a user can call the Esri sales team and learn about product functionality and licensing. At the end of the conversation, an Esri sales representative emails the Esri user a personalized digital shopping cart. Compared to a quote-request process, this approach saves time while helping even the most self-navigated users know that they’ve chosen the right GIS products.
For users who require a quote before making a purchase, Esri’s online store now has an option called Quote to Order. Currently available only in the United States, it is most appropriate for end users who are purchasing software valued at less than $100,000 and allows users to begin the quote-request process digitally. Benefits include immediate access to a subset of Esri products at any time via online ordering, privacy (with no need to give payment information over the phone), and reduction of time for orders to be submitted to Esri.
