Why "Omnichannel" Isn't Enough
In 2016, omnichannel became the “must have” way to sell. It doesn’t matter if you’re a large national retailer or have a small local retailer—customers now expect you to be everywhere. They want to shop in person at your brick‐and‐mortar store, they want to browse online at your website, they want an app to make everything streamlined. In 2016, the full set of channels became mere table stakes.
But what, really, is “omnichannel”? It’s become a buzzword, and what buzzwords gain in recognition, they lose in precision. Plenty of companies who offer you “omnichannel” are simply allowing you to accept payments in different places—but little more than that. Due to concerns about security, many of these companies are purposefully keeping different channels in silos to minimize risk. It makes security easier for them, sure. But in doing so, they’re causing retailers to lose out on the true value that a fully enabled omnichannel solution could offer.
That’s why we at Cayan have moved past the term “omnichannel.” Omnichannel can now mean anything, and so it means nothing. Instead, we believe in a clearer approach that goes beyond “omnichannel.” We believe in unified commerce.
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