Everything you always wanted to know about Omni-channel Retail......but were afraid to ask

Transcription

1 Everything you always wanted to know about Omni-channel Retail......but were afraid to ask

2 What exactly is omni-channel retail? Omni-channel retail is the seamless presentation of a retail experience to a customer across whichever channel they choose to use. That concept seems remarkably simple when you explain it from that perspective, but remarkably complex if you try it from the opposite side. In order to provide a true omni-channel experience, a retailer needs to integrate many different systems, platforms and technologies, as well as finding innovative ways to bridge the last chasm between the digital and physical retail worlds. Pg 2

3 How is it different to multi-channel? While multi-channel retailing as a concept has been around for ages, it s traditionally been understood as individual vertical channels, or swim-lanes. A retailer would be considered to be multi-channel just by having a retail presence in more than one channel, such as physical stores and a catalogue. This mindset has reflected in corporate structure, and in systems and processes within retailers. Omni-channel retailing focuses on the customer s perspective and demands a unified experience across all channels. The two terms are often confused with each other in publications which should probably know better, however! Pg 3

4 Isn t it just a buzzword? Well yes and no! Omni-channel is a term that s bandied about in a bewildering array of situations, and not always accurately, so you d be forgiven if you ve already dismissed the concept as just a vogue term. In reality though, it s also an incredibly important paradigm because as consumers become more and more sophisticated and more and more demanding, any failure to provide a seamless transition between channels becomes all the more jarring. In a world where we expect the information that we willingly provide to be used for our benefit, it s a frustration and a really negative impression of a brand if they expect you to provide it again. Pg 4

5 What s in it for customers? Here are some examples of how omni-channel retailing can already benefit consumers: Loyalty Schemes A good loyalty scheme can allow shoppers to collect points and be rewarded for purchases in store or on-line. Additionally, when redeeming those hard-earned points, customers can get value in stores while picking up their shopping, or on-line browsing at home at their leisure. Click and Collect Although the name itself is an example of how short-sighted our industry can sometimes be (approximately half of on-line transactions in the UK were performed on mobile in the UK in 2015), it s an undeniably popular service that allows customers to have items delivered to nominated stores to collect at their convenience. In-store stock check A customer can use a touch-screen kiosk to check the availability of an item in a store, with the opportunity to suggest alternative nearby stores if the item is out of stock. Alternative products can be suggested or the customer can be invited to place an order directly to their home address. Pg 5

6 How will omni-channel change the retail experience? Here s where we at GWD think it gets interesting. We already touched on the types of benefits that customers already get from an omni-channel approach, but that s not only the beginning! Consider the following scenarios: Scenario 1 Kevin is a regular user of a popular on-line fashion retailer and uses the mobile site to select some items at home with his girlfriend. With a few taps, he can send through a selection to a nearby store. The following day Kevin visits the store and using his mobile app gains access to a fitting room with all the items he selected in the appropriate sizes for him to try on. Pg 6

7 Scenario 2 Maia is browsing a high-street store on a shopping trip by herself. She sees a top she likes the look of and using her smartphone and the store s shopping assistant app, aims the camera at the top and instantly brings up a wealth of interesting information about it. She can see where it was made, she can see that the materials were ethically sourced and she can even send a picture and link to the same information directly to her friends via snapchat or whatsapp to get their opinion. Although she s keen on the top, she isn t quite ready to buy now, but instead of walking away she taps a button to add the item to her favourites, and can be reminded to order the item from home at a later date. Pg 7 Pg 7

8 Next instalment We hope that you re starting to get a feel for the exciting ways that technology can enable omni-channel retailing to give your customers a fantastic experience. If you d like to know more about any of the specific products that can enable these sorts of interactions why not give GWD a call? Stay tuned for the next edition of Everything you always wanted to know about arriving next month. Pg 8

9 Contact Us Sheffield Technology Parks, Arundel Street Sheffield S1 2NS United Kingdom O +44 (0) m connect@gwdevices.com