Discount Code Journey

The problem

While at River Island I led a major initiative centred around reducing the amount of customer drop-off at critical moments of truth in the shopping journey. One key area I identified was the discount code redemption experience.

The current experience lacked clarity. Customers would submit codes without receiving confirmation, leaving them unsure whether a code had been applied. One important business rule was that only one code could be used per order, which wasn't being clearly communicated.

We could also see from contact centre data and Chattermill feedback that many customers were ordering items thinking they had a discount applied, only to realise at checkout that no discount was added — and therefore paying more.

What I did

• Experience mapped the current journey across all touchpoints
• Collated feedback from testing sessions, Chattermill, GA, and Contentsquare
• Rapid, iterative prototyping

Process

I started with mapping the customer journey, which turned into more of a user story map as there were multiple ways into redeeming a code. There were so many points at which a customer might interact with or see a code that we needed to capture all of them.

Once mapped, we added real customer insights to back up each touchpoint with a real problem — collecting data through Chattermill and previous customer interviews.

When a discount code was live, there was a noticeable drop in conversion. This validated our initial hunch — something was going wrong during code redemption.

Digging deeper

Digging deeper with an expert review, we ran a series of real-world tests applying codes in different scenarios across the site. The results were consistent: success and error messages were vague and often misleading. Customers thought a code had been applied when it hadn't — or assumed they could stack discounts when they couldn't.

Given the scale of issues, we had to prioritise. Collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers, we identified the areas with the highest impact:

• The code entry flow, which felt clunky and unresponsive
• Error and validation messaging, which lacked clarity
• Terms & conditions copy, which needed simplification
• Finding a code flow, which needed to be more integrated

I developed a prototype of the new flow centred around the business decision of only allowing one code per order, then worked with our User Researcher to test it with customers.

Outcome

The final designs resonated strongly with users during testing. Participants consistently reported that the new flow made it clear when a discount code had been applied successfully. They especially appreciated how easy it was to add or remove a code, with many calling out the redesigned experience as straightforward.