It's Time To Stop Talking About Omnichannel

By Gregg Brunnick, Epson America

If retailers want to provide exceptional customer experience, it's time to stop talking about — and to start delivering — a real omnichannel experience.

Every industry has its share of buzzwords. Some pop up for a short period and then fade away while others stick around for years. Within retail, the term omnichannel falls into the latter category. Yet, despite its longevity, there's little consensus on exactly what it means, let alone a shared standard merchant can use as a benchmark. Sure, we may all agree on the basic premise of omnichannel, which is consumers being able to purchase goods online (using social media or a retailer’s website) and in-store from the same retailer. But, beyond that, the definition starts to fall apart. One primary reason for this is that omnichannel retail is a challenge for most merchants to deliver.

I recently spoke with Jonathan Mauerer, VP of Operations at Teamwork Commerce, an Epson ISV partner that provides cloud-based retail management solutions. As a company specializing in delivering a full omnichannel experience, Mauerer was the perfect subject to shed light on why retailers are missing the mark with this vital business strategy and to share insights on how they can overcome these challenges.