eSIM – the ability to activate a mobile plan without inserting a physical sim card – is becoming more widespread as device makers incorporate the technology into more models. Handsets from all the major providers are eSIM-enabled, and there is speculation that the leading manufacturers will launch eSIM-only variants this year.

Woolworths Mobile launched eSIM capability in November 2021 and has seen impressive results and a strong, positive reaction from their mobile customers. We spoke to the Woolworths Mobile team to find out why eSIM excited them so much and how they delivered a compelling, digital-first eSIM experience.

A seamless customer experience

The primary advantages of eSIM, according to James McMurrough, Head of Woolworths Mobile, are the ability to distribute mobile services through a multitude of touchpoints, and a vastly improved customer experience.

“With a substantial physical presence in communities across Australia, Woolworths has a strong set of touchpoints with customers. eSIM presents an opportunity for us to use store displays, advertising and communications to put a service in a customer’s hands, when and where they want it,” says James.

“Customers are increasingly sophisticated when it comes to technology. They want immediacy and simplicity, they want to buy and use the service when it suits them. While mobile is not Woolworth’s core business, eSIM absolutely fits with our desire to offer delightful, intuitive experiences in mobile in ways that support our brand.”

Pamela Lim, Product Manager, says eSIM helps with both delighting existing customers and acquiring new ones. “eSIM makes it easier for us to help customers upgrade to new handsets or plans. They can buy a new plan in store and leave with it already set up and working.”

“The hassle of switching mobile providers is a barrier. People are often put off by the prospect of fiddling around with physical SIM cards, but with eSIM we can reduce that hurdle. We can do interesting things in terms of promotions and onboarding, knowing customers are more likely to engage when the process is easy and fast.”

Living the brand values

eSIM also helps the mobile business align with the wider Woolworths group brand values.

The lack of physical SIM cards – and the consequent reduction in waste – also chimes with Woolworth’s brand. “Sustainability is important to our company. If there’s an opportunity to reduce waste, then we will. eSIM removes the need for the packaging and plastic that comes with SIM cards. It helps us contribute to Woolworth’s sustainability purpose,” says James.

“And by integrating eSIM capabilities, we are also responding to tech trends in the market and anticipating our customers’ future technology needs. We want to be seen as leading the market as it’s an important way to help us differentiate our experience and products.”
 

“And by integrating eSIM capabilities, we are also responding to tech trends in the market and anticipating our customers’ future technology needs. We want to be seen as leading the market as it’s an important way to help us differentiate our experience and products.”

Creating a fully in-app activation experience

While Woolworths Mobile eSIM customer experience is seamless and intuitive, a lot of work went into making it that way.

“We knew we wanted to use eSIM’s capabilities to offer customers a fully digital upgrade, switching or purchase experience within our app and website,” explains Rod Simmons, Head of Technology – Telco & Insurance. “However, we had lots to work through, such as how we would cater for all the various user journeys and complex shopping cart combinations available. We had to answer questions such as how we deliver two-factor authentication for eSIM activations through the app and the customer’s account page online.

“We decided to focus on the pre-paid user journey initially because we wanted to get eSIM into the hands of our customers as soon as possible.

“This is also where we received invaluable assistance from our friends at Telstra Wholesale. Together, we worked out what APIs were necessary for us to get it up and running as fast (and robustly) as possible.”

A hit with the customers

The results have been impressive, with growing uptake of eSIM among customers even without above the line promotion.

“We see a significant number of customers every day choosing eSIM because of the convenience. Interestingly, we also had many customers swapping to eSIM when we launched the capability in November last year,” says James.

‘Whether it’s because of a desire to use a second number on a single device or just the customer’s desire to adopt the latest technology, eSIM is proving popular with our users. And this is just the start; we are excited to work with the Telstra Wholesale team to continue seizing the opportunities for our business.”