The term “omnichannel” gets thrown around a lot — some might
say too much — by retailers and industry observers. However, the word still
conveys an important truth: retailers must take every action possible to maximize
customer engagement opportunities across both traditional and emerging channels.
The seventh annual Retail
TouchPoints Omnichannel Survey shows where retailers are succeeding in
connecting with the consumer, as well as where they need to improve. In this
Q&A, the RTP editorial team
shares their top takeaways from the results.
Did anything from the survey catch your eye? Let us know in
the comments below!
Debbie Hauss,
Editor-in-Chief: The most significant and poignant stat for me was the increase
and total percentage of retailers that are depending on customer analytics
to achieve their omnichannel goals. The survey showed a 32 percentage point rise in 2018, reaching 84% of total respondents. It’s definitely about time the
vast majority of retailers were focused on the customer, with data as a backup.
As a result I think we’ll see improvements in cross-channel initiatives, as
retailers become empowered to deliver the right messaging to the right
customers at the right time consistently across shopping touch points.
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Adam Blair, Executive
Editor: Analyzing the data from this year’s Omnichannel Survey makes me
wonder, yet again, when our industry will adopt a more accurate descriptive
term. Granted, “omnichannel” is better than its predecessors, “multi-channel”
and “cross-channel,” but all are holdovers from the days when: 1. There were
only three or four channels of note (stores, a web site, catalogs and perhaps a
call center); and 2. Each channel was a sharply defined entity for both
retailers and consumers. The days when both of these statements were true
are in the rapidly receding past. Consumers not only don’t care about channels;
they are barely aware that they exist.
My objection to the term “omnichannel” is more than just linguistic; by
including the word “channel,” it reinforces a retailer-centric viewpoint that
also has become outmoded. Say what you like about Amazon, but it’s much
more customer-centered than omnichannel — and
not just because it began life as an online pure play. For better or worse,
everything Amazon does is focused on the customer experience. Is that the
secret to its success?
Glenn Taylor, Senior
Editor: Becoming a business that creates a seamless experience across every
channel obviously requires setting priorities — meaning some goals, even worthy
ones, get pushed toward the bottom of the list. While it’s great that retailers
are focusing their omnichannel efforts on customer
retention and acquisition, I see a problem when only one-quarter of companies
prioritize reacting more quickly to
business/market changes (27%) and localizing
assortments/services (22%). As retailers sharpen their personalization
skills and seek to cater to consumers at a more individual level, localization —
whether through product assortments or customer service representation — will
have to be a prime differentiator. Additionally, the ability to adapt quickly to
changes is exactly what separates innovative businesses from companies that fail
because they turn things around too late —
so it’s a little unnerving that most of the retailers surveyed don’t at
least consciously prioritize this goal. Maybe the majority thinks they’re doing
this well enough already? Either way, this is an area where it’s much better to
be safe than sorry, so hopefully next year more retailers will emphasize reacting
rapidly to changes.
Bryan Wassel, Associate Editor: This year’s
omnichannel survey shone a light on an area where retailers have much room for
improvement: just 26% allow customers to access inventory data on personal devices and place/modify orders. As the results
of Thanksgiving Weekend showed us, shoppers are using their devices
across their entire retail journey: 68% of
Thanksgiving e-Commerce traffic came from a mobile device, rising to 70% over
the holiday weekend. Empowering shoppers on the devices they use most can go a
long way in eliminating friction – an estimated 8% of package shipments were delayed during
the holidays, and giving these customers a quick and convenient way to check on
their orders and modify them as necessary would have helped minimize the
headaches that these unavoidable hassles create.
