Omnichannel efforts boosting retail success
Omnichannel has become standard practice for some retailers of late, as the strategy allows merchants to meet customers no matter how or where they shop. The versatility of the sales method requires retail software that is capable of working across all levels of an organization, but at the same time provides considerable convenience to shoppers, which in turn drives purchases.
Based on OpinionLab's Holiday Preview Customer Feedback Index, companies that offer versatile omnichannel options outperform strictly ecommerce-related businesses. OpinionLab compared omnichannel retail against e-retail on seven different metrics that measured customers' preferences and the quality of their experiences, and found that online-only retailers beat out other stores based on the information available about products and within user accounts.
Conversely, omnichannel retailers provide a better experience through their service and support, as well as during checkout – both key factors in a business' success.
Multichannel Merchant noted that these findings disprove some of the predictions made about brick-and-mortar retail made in the past year, as the information highlights the importance of physical locations for consumers. Returning items at a store is generally easier for consumers than shipping delivered items back to the merchant, and multiple purchase and pickup options at the point of sale can also win customers over.
