40% Of Retailers Cite Technology Integration As Omnichannel Hurdle

In order to create a seamless, consistent experience across all channels and touch points, retailers need to integrate technology and remove organizational silos.

However, 40% of retailers have difficulty integrating back-end technology across channels, according to a Forrester study commissioned by Accenture and hybris software. Lengthy implementation timelines — often lasting as long as 18 months — also leave retailers struggling to adopt technologies designed to help improve the customer experience.

The study, titled: Customer Desires vs. Retailer Capabilities: Minding The Omnichannel Commerce Gap, surveyed up to 250 retail and manufacturing organizations in the U.S. and Western Europe. The study evaluated respondents’ omnichannel attitudes and investments, and compared them with feedback from more than 1,500 multichannel shoppers.

Overall, results confirmed that there is a clear disconnect between retailer investments and consumer expectations. Although 62% of retailers said that consumer demands drive omnichannel investments, only 33% of retailers are equipped with basic omnichannel capabilities, such as cross-channel inventory visibility and buy online, pickup in-store.

The majority (71%) of consumers now demand omnichannel experiences from their favorite retailers, but channel silos remain a hurdle for 34% of retailers. Once organizational barriers are broken down, businesses can integrate across all departments, helping them create a seamless and consistent browsing and buying journey.

The report stated that retailers — primarily those that have some form of omnichannel practice in place — are far too comfortable with their current offerings. Because customer expectations are constantly changing, and once-innovative solutions are now common practice, retailers need to be agile to provide optimal omnichannel experiences.

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