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Only 17% Of Mobile Apps Display Local In-Store Inventory Levels

While buy online/pick up in-store is becoming a more common strategy among retailers seeking to up their omnichannel fulfillment game, many still have a ways to go before they can say they’re doing it right.

 

Despite consumer demand for inventory visibility prior to walking in a store, only 17% of retailer mobile apps display in-store inventory quantities for local stores, according to data from Kibo.

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When it comes to building out a successful buy online/pick up in-store experience, retailers need to “pick up” the pace when it comes to communication with the consumer, whether that’s through the mobile phone, the web site or in person:

  • 37% of apps allowed shoppers to designate someone else to pick up a purchase;

  • 30% enabled text notifications; and

  • 50% had store signage for buy online/pick up in-store.

Despite these shortcomings, most of the retailers studied are putting in the effort to get product swiftly to both the store and the customer. While 75% had orders ready for pickup within 24 hours, an impressive 43% of them had associates that located customers’ orders in less than a minute.

Train Associates To Save The Sale

These retailers still have to take more precautions if consumers are unhappy with their purchases. Although 90% of associates have inventory access and 87% can place orders via register, mobile POS or tablet, only 7% attempted to save the sale if the interaction with the consumer went south.

The report recommends retailers take actions to save the sale through various steps:

  • Leverage CRM and data mashup of online and in-store activity to provides associates with insight;

  • Train associates to suggest alternative items in an effort to save the sale;

  • Check the stock status for a desired item across the enterprise; and

  • Place orders for customers, making the transaction quick and convenient.

To compile data for the Kibo report, titled: Unified Commerce and the Customer Experience, the e-tailing group shopped at 30 major retailers that offered in-store pick up or reserve and evaluated 85 metrics on the omnichannel experience.

This research evaluated the ability of retailer apps to facilitate fast shopping in advance of the store visit; measured the timeliness and accuracy of communication with the consumer once the order was placed; and reviewed the store’s ability to use signage, in-store technology and the power of the store associate to enhance the customer’s in-store experience.

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