A Platform For Diving Into Omni-Channel Retailing

Consumers are swimming across retail channels at an Olympic pace, and a substantial proportion of retailers today are in danger of being left in their wake. The omni-channel phenomenon has been gaining momentum for decades, but more recently digital systems and mobile shopping have churned the waters to the point that retailers will need to be more agile and adaptable if they intend to keep up with consumer expectations.

Some industry commentators still are defining “omni-channel” as the ability to view their website on a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. The reality is that the Web is just one channel, however it is viewed, and even that distinction is being blurred now. Omni-channel must embrace not only traditional broadcast, print and Web media but also in-store point-of-sale transactions; clienteling and assisted selling; e-commerce; order and fulfillment management systems, including texting systems; customer relationship management (CRM) technology; and, increasingly, social media. In every instance, effective retailing in each of these channels requires the adoption of digital strategies and a dive into non-traditional digital channels.