Omnichannel Commerce

Customer expectations in terms of delivery times, convenience and additional (omnichannel) services such as click & collect are increasing more and more. As a result of the newly established omnichannel shopping experience, customers expect that they will receive their goods within a few days, that they will be able to check the availability of items in the store as well as in the online shop, and that they will also be able to return their goods at all touchpoints.

Retailers are therefore faced with the challenge of adapting their entire processes to these changing needs and designing a seamless customer journey in order to meet the ever-increasing competitive pressure. A successful implementation of an omnichannel fulfillment strategy can support them in this.

With the establishment of an omnichannel commerce strategy, retailers must also control the advertising of their services cross-medially on various channels. Only in this way can omnichannel commerce develop into a successful concept.

For example, in the case of click & collect, it is important that retailers fully integrate the service into the processes and advertising measures of their online shop. Even if the point seems self-evident, the click & collect service offer is hidden in the checkout in many online shops. The recommendation of the International Retail Federation (IRF) is to promote and offer click & collect not only on the homepage, but also on the product detail pages, as fast product availability has a positive influence on the customer’s decision-making process.

Click & reserve also offers advantages that should be actively advertised. Customers have the opportunity to view or try on the goods ordered online in the store before paying for them. This increases customer satisfaction and reduces returns.

The same principle applies to the promotion of in-store returns. Retailers should make customers aware before they buy that they have the flexibility to choose whether they want to conveniently return their ordered goods by mail or return them to a store. This creates convenience for the customer and can positively influence the final purchase decision.

To master the entry into omnichannel business, retailers must first establish an online shop and thus a digital presence before they can connect their stores with online retail. An optimized strategy centered on the customer from the outset is crucial for a better customer experience and the ultimate success of the omnichannel concept.

According to a survey by Statista (2018), customers want the following services in particular from a connected online and offline presence:

• Free (return) shipping
• Consistent prices in the online shop and store
• The possibility of in-store returns
• Store navigation
• Online indication of availabilities in stores
• Possibility to set up a reminder
• Online availability check
• Contact on website
• Online reservation in store

In order to meet these requirements in omnichannel commerce, omnichannel fulfillment with sophisticated, digital processes forms an important basis. Examples of flexible eCommerce fulfillment processes are models such as click & collect or ship-from-store.

In addition, a modern software architecture for fast scalability, easy integration and optimal performance is of high importance. Only in this way can an online order be processed efficiently, whereby the optimization of the following process steps is important: inventory management, storage, picking and packing, shipping or collection, and returns management.