OMNICHANNEL: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Omnichannel generally describes an integrated, seamless shopping experience for customers across both digital and physical retail channels. Whereas multichannel retail simply means interacting on various channels, omnichannel strategically aligns and blends those channels to optimize convenience, brand consistency and sales at every touchpoint.

The omnichannel approach creates a unified commerce ecosystem connecting all the different modes shoppers can use to browse, purchase, engage and get support. That entails bridging in-store, online, mobile, phone, tablet, social media, apps, IoT devices and more through centralized data, inventory and logistics coordination.

On the customer end, omnichannel allows easily switching between or combining channels anywhere in the shopping journey. For example, a customer can buy items online for home delivery or in-store pickup at their convenience, locate inventory and prices across stores on mobile, interact with product displays in-store to access expanded digital content, message a sales agent, view purchase history and loyalty points from any channel and more.

Behind the scenes, omnichannel retail integrates systems for channel consistency, fulfillment flexibility and frictionless transactions across touchpoints. Order management integrates with inventory and CRM data visible across the enterprise. Content and promotions synchronize across channels tied to customer identity and context. Store associates have mobile devices providing endless aisle ecommerce access and equipping shipment from anywhere capabilities enable locating, selling and fulfilling demand ubiquitously.

The omnichannel approach essentially seeks to deliver customers the benefits of both physical and digital retail melded into one experience catering to individual preferences. That proves especially valuable for more complex or expensive purchases where shoppers conduct substantial research first. Omnichannel gives customers control to interact when, where and how they choose rather than conforming to channel limitations.

With channel fragmentation increasing, omnichannel retail strives to unify data and processes for sound analytics and closed-loop attribution. Optimizing convenience, service and relevance across channels guides strategy based on cross-channel consumer insights. This favors customer centricity through technology flexibility to meet them wherever they are. The future of shopping promises even more interconnected mobility, personalization and IoT integration to fulfill demand seamlessly. Omnichannel paves that integrated path.