Omnichannel Retail and
Beyond: Delivering Superior
Customer Experiences

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58% of consumers expect to do more online shopping after the pandemic than before. But there is still a place for the brick-and-mortar retail store, which now has to work even harder to drive loyalty and meet customers expectations.

A 2019 survey found that 85% of UK shoppers still preferred to buy in-store rather than online, but trends are changing — and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this. With long-established retail stores failing to meet their projected earnings, ecommerce sites are moving in to fill the vacuum.
Retail sales growth vs. ecommerce sales growth.

Is the future of retail online? It may be, but there are a number of advantages to in-store shopping that are yet to be duplicated in the digital space, and many reasons why people still prefer to do their shopping in person. For example, consumers enjoy the ability to see, touch, and test out products before committing, and often find the gratification of instant ownership more appealing than waiting for items to arrive.

The true future of retail is a combination of online and in-store shopping, experienced seamlessly across multiple channels via whichever method the customer prefers. Thanks to omnichannel retail and the power of unified commerce, businesses are delivering that future to customers today.

 
 

What we will cover:

 
 

What is the difference between omnichannel and unified commerce?

Omnichannel retailing describes a model in which clients can interact with multiple sales and media channels at once, and have their information retained by the retailer as they move between them. For example, omnichannel retailing allows your clients to browse on a desktop, compare prices on a mobile device, then visit your brick-and-mortar location to finalise a purchase — all without having to restart their customer journey. Omnichannel retail connects all channels, combining the store experience and the website to create a single experience.

Where omnichannel commerce strives to unify several separate channels, unified commerce takes multichannel selling one step further. Unified commerce relies on cloud technology to integrate all business functions, channels, and client data onto a single platform. Rather than allowing your customers to move seamlessly across multiple channels, you give them the opportunity to stay within a single channel — one that incorporates all other channels and data.

While there are some blurred lines between these two strategies, they both demonstrate that unified selling creates a more customer-centric business model. By eliminating restrictions on how, when, and where a client can shop, customers gain freedom and flexibility, resulting in an unparalleled experience.

 

Shoppers want a unified experience

Is a consistent customer experience really that important? In a word, yes. Roughly 75% of consumers expect a consistent experience wherever they engage. When they shop in stores, 68% of consumers say it’s absolutely critical or very important that associates understand their personal preferences or needs. Should businesses fail to deliver on this expectation, they risk losing customers. Some 70% of consumers report that technology has made it significantly easier to take their business elsewhere.

Despite the obvious demand for a unified experience, only 28% of B2C companies are available to serve customers on every channel. This becomes an even bigger concern when you consider that 73% of shoppers use multiple channels during their shopping journey. Taken together, these numbers suggest that approximately two-thirds of retailers fail to effectively cater to the shopping preferences of over two-thirds of their audience.

 
76% of customers prefer different channels depending on context.
76% of customers prefer different channels depending on context. "State of the Connected Customer," Salesforce, October 2020.
Omnichannel retail and unified commerce solutions can help your business turn everyone into an engaged, satisfied, loyal customer — you just need the right tools.
 

A unified platform is the solution

To earn the loyalty of more customers, you need a single, comprehensive solution that unifies all aspects of commerce, including store innovations, distributed inventory management, cross-channel data integration, and a rich set of ecommerce capabilities that encompass mobile, social, and web. And you need all of this to be powered by the flexibility and agility of the cloud.

When every touchpoint is a transaction.

Today’s connected customer wants to shop from any device, any location, any time. Learn how to embrace this new retail reality, evolve your approach, and reach more shoppers.
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Provide seamless experiences across every digital channel

Although the modern customer journey is more fluid and flexible than ever before, shoppers still expect a single, seamless shopping experience. A shopper may choose to interact with your brand across multiple digital channels, bouncing between mobile, web, social, and more before completing their purchase. To provide a unified experience, your digital commerce tools must extend beyond the basic website and connect not only with each other, but with the customer — anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Tools that track and collate client activity as customers move from channel to channel help ensure that no matter when or how the buyer resumes the conversation, you have the insights needed to help them pick up exactly where they left off. With continuity and consistency across every channel, clients will never have to worry about starting over at square one.

Unified order management ensures customer satisfaction beyond the sale

The shopping experience doesn’t end with the purchase. By integrating order management across all channels — online and in-store — you give shoppers the power and flexibility to choose how and when orders are shipped, where they are delivered, and how they might return them. Customers can buy online and pick up in-store, purchase in-store and have items shipped, change orders after they’ve placed them, choose between multiple pickup and delivery options, and return items to any location without the usual hassles.

Know your shoppers before they even enter the store

A truly unified commerce platform allows you to optimise your in-store sales approach with cross-channel customer insights. With a single view of customer activity across digital, social, and more, sales associates can offer data-based service tailored to each shopper. They can identify a customer’s shopping habits, provide personalised recommendations, and access inventory from any location — including online — to help shoppers find what they’re looking for.

The right multi-channel ecommerce solution brings it all together

The commerce world is shifting, but maybe not in the way that some expect. The future of shopping won’t be retail or online, but a hybrid of both. Omnichannel retail and unified commerce bring everything together in a customer-centric, all-in-one solution. This approach will improve the customer experience regardless of how they choose to shop, and increase your effectiveness across all channels. With the right tools, your customers will be able to enjoy a seamless, personalised, interactive buying experience — whether or not they ever set foot in your store.

Want to learn more about the tools that are redefining commerce? Check out Commerce Cloud and see for yourself what a unified commerce solution can do for you.

 

That’s a lot of info!

Here’s what you should take away from this article:

  • What is omnichannel retailing? Omnichannel retailing is an approach to sales that enables customers to interact with multiple sales and media channels – from desktop through mobile to in-store.
  • How does unified commerce differ from omnichannel? Unified commerce takes multichannel selling one step further, using cloud technology to integrate the shopping journey within a single platform.
  • What are the benefits to shoppers of a unified experience? The benefits to shoppers of a unified experience include consistency of service, personalised preferences and ease of switching between channels.
  • How does a unified platform boost customer loyalty? A unified cloud-based platform provides flexibility across mobile, social and web transactions and boosts customer loyalty by simplifying shopping journeys.
  • Does omnichannel ensure a seamless experience? Tools that track and collate customer activity across multiple digital channels provide the single, seamless experience that modern shoppers expect.
  • What are the advantages of unified order management post-purchase? Unified order management guarantees customer satisfaction post-purchase with flexible, hassle-free shipping, delivery, pick-up and return options.
  • How can cross-channel customer insights optimise sales? Data-driven cross-channel customer insights give in-store sales associates a unified platform to offer each shopper a tailor-made service.
  • What are the rewards of a customer-centric approach? A customer-centric approach rewards shoppers and retailers equally by combining the advantages of omnichannel and unified commerce to optimise the buying experience.
 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What does omnichannel mean in retail?

Omnichannel in retail describes a method of combining the advantages of in-store shopping with the convenience of online to deliver a superior customer experience. In this model, customers can interact simultaneously with multiple sales and media channels, moving between showroom and website in one seamless journey.

Why is omnichannel retailing important?

The importance of omnichannel retailing rests in its ability to digitally unify a range of customer shopping preferences within a single transaction. Recognising that many shoppers still begin their journey in-store before comparing prices and completing their purchase online, omnichannel keeps track of each step of the process.

How can I improve my omnichannel retailing?

A multi-channel ecommerce solution is essential. Tools that track and collate customer activity across multiple channels are vital for understanding the unified experience that today’s shoppers expect as standard. Meanwhile, post-purchase unified order management improves your omnichannel retailing by offering flexible shipping, hassle-free delivery and return, multiple pick-up options and more.

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