The Biggest Benefits of Great Omnichannel Retail

Talk to any retailer around the globe, and you’ll quickly find the conversation turning to omnichannel strategies, seamless customer experiences across all touchpoints, and the creation of integrated retail ecosystems that make these ambitions a reality.

But shopping wasn’t always this complex. It used to be straightforward. And with the right technology, it can be again.

Remember when shopping was simple? You’d walk into a store, browse the aisles, pick out what you wanted, perhaps try on a few items, and then head to the cash desk to make your purchase. This might feel like a distant memory, but it wasn’t that long ago. It was only in the mid-2000s that online shopping began to take off, with Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay leading a revolution that fundamentally altered how we shop and how we, as consumers, behave.

Suddenly, the internet opened up a world of seemingly endless choices. We were no longer limited to what was available in physical stores; we could browse online to our heart’s content and find exactly what we wanted.

Following the boom of ecommerce, the convergence of mobile technology, social media, and an ever-growing app culture introduced a myriad of new shopping experiences and ways for consumers to spend their money. Retail became omnipresent—everywhere, all the time, and always on.

However, as Spiderman famously said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” For retailers, that responsibility has always been about fulfilling the customer promise.

With the rise of ecommerce and mobile technology, delivering a seamless customer experience across all touchpoints became retail’s Holy Grail. Many retailers have pursued this goal, yet often fall short. The problem is familiar: different channels operating in silos, physical stores disconnected from online channels, and customers viewed in isolation.

But this fragmented approach isn’t what customers want.

From the customer’s perspective, there has always been just one channel. They see your brand as a single entity, not a collection of disconnected channels. They expect consistency and fulfilment of your brand promise, regardless of how they interact with you.

This is why achieving omnichannel excellence has become the ultimate objective for so many retailers. But it’s not just about being omnichannel; it’s about delivering real-time, exceptional omnichannel experiences.

Let’s be clear: the ultimate goal of mastering omnichannel retail is to drive sales.

For ambitious global retailers, delivering on your brand promise by giving customers what they want, when they want it, builds trust, loyalty, and, ultimately, sales.

A unified, cross-channel experience is crucial for building this trust and loyalty and optimising sales. With consistent information and real-time adjustments across all touchpoints, you can offer a fluid customer journey that seamlessly integrates both online and physical channels.

Great omnichannel retail enhances sales by:

1. Providing tools for market-leading customer experiences: With a 360° view of your customer’s order history and brand interactions, you can deliver personalised service that resonates. Customers expect unified prices, stock levels, orders, and data across all touchpoints. This demands full integration of your systems to ensure a cohesive experience.
2. Boosting customer lifetime value & loyalty: When you prioritise your customers (as great omnichannel strategies do), you create happy, loyal customers. Satisfied customers return, and they also become advocates, spreading the word and driving new business your way.
3. Empowering store associates: Equipping your store associates with the right tools—such as a POS supported by a Unified Commerce Platform—transforms their role. They can provide customers with what they want, whenever they want it, leading to more engaged, productive associates who enhance the customer experience.
4. Improving inventory visibility & turnover: Real-time inventory visibility gives you a comprehensive understanding of stock levels, reduces waste, and simplifies replenishment. A unified view of in-store, online, and external inventory helps optimise stock flows and ensures a consistent shopping experience across all channels.
5. Enhancing fulfilment options: A strong omnichannel strategy amplifies fulfilment possibilities, including Click-and-Collect (BOPIS), Click-and-Reserve (ROBIS), Endless Aisle, and cross-store pickup options. Transforming your stores into fulfilment centres not only boosts efficiency but also offers better service and sustainability by reducing reliance on centralised distribution centres. Efficient return handling (BORIS) is another critical element, minimising costs and driving upsell opportunities.

In Summary At its core, retail is simple: it’s about delivering what your customers want, when they want it. But with customer behaviour constantly evolving, it’s up to you to stay ahead of these changes.

This requires working smarter, leveraging technology and software to put customers first, empowering store associates, and anticipating the future of retail.