Online Concierge Service Enjoy Going Wider

“You really don’t want to be in a hurry. Great things take time.” That’s the lesson former JCPenney CEO and Apple executive Ron Johnson conveyed to The New York Times about his time at the struggling retail giant (Penney, not Apple) in a recent article focused on his newest venture, Enjoy, which may just end up being his most successful to date.

It hasn’t necessarily taken a long time for Enjoy to find a foothold among consumers in New York and San Francisco, and this week, the company will be bringing its on-demand services to Los Angeles, followed by a launch in Chicago in May. The tech startup helps consumers find, purchase and learn to use new technology. “We’re trying to reinvent the way people buy technology products. We’ve learned a lot, and we’ve seen positive momentum,” Johnson told NYT.

According to the outlet, Enjoy, which launched in May 2015, reportedly has grown to 150 employees and expanded its product offering from 29 to 150 products. The lineup includes products from Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, Jawbone and Garmin, and the company has also recently added Apple products, like Apple TV, Apple’s iPad Pro and the new AirPort Express.

So, how does it work? Customers place their order online and then decide when they’d like to have their products hand-delivered. Unlike the industry average, which hovers around the 10 percent mark, returns at Enjoy amount to just 1 percent of all transactions, according to Johnson. He declined to share with NYT how many customers have signed on but indicated that a majority have already become repeat shoppers.

Johnson did share some insights into the Enjoy customer, noting that they are younger than he initially expected, with a majority in their 20s and 30s. He also acknowledged that these young shoppers are looking for an immediately gratifying shopping experience, and many opt for same-day deliveries. “When they want something, they want it today,” he told NYT, noting that logistics have presented some challenges, but nothing his team hasn’t been able to adapt to. For example, he noted to NYT, in New York, experts use the subways, while in the Bay Area, they travel by car.

Bucking a trend among many online retailers who are rushing to establish brick-and-mortar locations, albeit in innovative ways, Enjoy is investing in people rather than real estate. According to NYT, Enjoy employees can set their own flexible work schedules, receive an attractive compensation and benefits package and seem to be a priority for the company.