Every great road trip starts with a map, a destination, and the right crew to make the journey smooth. For PacSun, that journey involved transforming how more than 300 stores communicate, operate, and execute to deliver better customer experiences—turning roadblocks into open highways.
At the wheel? Lianne Préstamo, Sr. Store Communications Specialist, who helped steer PacSun’s shift from outdated, paper-based communication to a streamlined, digital-first approach—leveraging Zipline’s task management, automated workflows, and AI-powered search.
Now, let’s hit the road and explore the key milestones in PacSun’s journey to retail excellence.
Stop #1: The Golden Gate Bridge – Bridging the Gap Between HQ and Stores
For PacSun, staying competitive meant ensuring store teams received the right information, at the right time, in the right way—but outdated communication tools were slowing them down. Stores relied on bulky PDF packets that lacked visibility, making it impossible to track who was reading updates or completing tasks.
“Previously, we would send out these PDF packets to our stores with all the information and tasks they needed to complete for the day,” says Lianne. “And if you’ve experienced this yourselves, you know how challenging it is to validate whether or not stores were actually reading what we were sending—or acting on it.”
Switching to Zipline gave PacSun real-time visibility into message readership and task completion. No more blind spots—HQ could finally see what was working and what wasn’t.
✅ Immediate Impact:
- Increased confidence at HQ that stores are reading and executing tasks as expected.
- Improved efficiency—store teams now spend less time digging for information and more time on the floor.
- Easier collaboration—district managers and business partners can track execution in real time, eliminating manual check-ins and follow-ups.
Stop #2: Joshua Tree – Picture-Perfect Execution with Photo Task Approvals
Before switching to Zipline, PacSun noticed a gap in execution. Stores were completing visual merchandising tasks, but district managers had no easy way to review displays or provide feedback in real time.
To solve this, PacSun partnered directly with Zipline to develop Photo Task Approvals—a feature that lets managers review and approve store displays within the same workflow. Now, frontline employees simply snap a picture, submit it through Zipline, and receive immediate feedback—ensuring every store stays on-brand.
In the process, PacSun played a key role in shaping a feature now widely used across the retail industry.
✅ The result?
- Instant feedback ensures displays meet brand standards.
- Consistent execution across all store locations.
- Full visibility for HQ and field leaders into how visual strategies are landing.
Stop #3: Pacific Coast Highway – AI Takes the Wheel with Chaddy
No road trip is complete without a trusty co-pilot. For PacSun store teams, that co-pilot is Chaddy—their very own AI assistant within Zipline.
PacSun’s team trained Chaddy’s conversational AI on its store policies and procedures, ensuring accurate, hyper-relevant answers for employees.Instead of searching through emails or outdated manuals, store associates simply ask Chaddy and get an instant, reliable answer—saving time and ensuring accuracy.
“Stores quickly embraced Chaddy as a new member of their store team, adopting the mindset of, ‘Did you ask Chaddy?’ whenever questions came up in stores. This reduced repetitive questions to HQ, saved our teams time, and empowered store teams to problem-solve on their own,” says Lianne.
But the impact goes beyond efficiency—Chaddy helps drive consistency. By providing the same accurate answers across all locations, it reduces variability in execution and ensures that policies, promotions, and operational processes are followed the right way, every time.
✅ The result?
- Less noise—fewer repetitive questions sent to HQ.
- Faster answers—store teams get instant, accurate information.
- More consistent execution—every store follows the same playbook.
Stop #4: The Road to Growth – Smarter Training & Onboarding
As PacSun’s journey continued, one area still needed an upgrade: training.
“Training and onboarding for us had always been a bit of a challenge. We had outdated, paper-based, and hard-to-track learning and development tools, and we needed to get with the times.”
By integrating Zipline Learning, PacSun can now track training completion, update content on the fly, and ensure new hires are up to speed faster than ever—all within the same platform store teams already rely on for daily tasks.
Instead of lengthy backroom training sessions or scattered materials, employees can now access bite-sized, role-specific learning in the flow of work, making training more engaging, actionable, and immediately applicable on the sales floor.
The benefits go beyond just efficiency—better training leads to stronger retention. By equipping employees with the right knowledge from day one, PacSun reduces turnover, shortens ramp-up time, and ensures associates feel confident in their roles faster.
Want to see how PacSun, American Signature, and Janie and Jack are using Zipline Learning? Watch the NRF panel discussion here.
✅ The impact? Stronger teams, better compliance, and improved employee retention—leading to fewer training gaps and a more engaged workforce.
The Final Stretch: What’s Next for PacSun?
PacSun’s journey isn’t over—because innovation never stops.
In just three years, PacSun has transformed store operations from paper-based processes to a fully digital, AI-supported system that enhances execution, empowers employees, and keeps every location aligned. By embracing Zipline’s communication, task management, AI-powered search, and learning tools, the brand has reduced inefficiencies, improved visibility, and given store teams the resources they need to succeed—all in one platform.
And they’re not hitting the brakes anytime soon. With a focus on continuous improvement, PacSun is always looking for new ways to streamline workflows, strengthen training, and create a seamless experience for both employees and customers.
Want to hear the full story? Watch Lianne Préstamo break it all down here:
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