What is true omnichannel retail experience

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Omnichannel shopping allows customers to interact with different sales and media touchpoints while having a consistent experience. This is possible thanks to data being updated in real-time on concerned platforms and touchpoints. As a result, customers can switch between different platforms and continue shopping from where they left off without experiencing any friction. However, true omnichannel experience is challenging to implement due to the following reasons:

Siloed channel systems – Despite attempting to implement an omnichannel shopping strategy, many retailers find that each channel is managed in separate IT environments, at least partially. Siloed systems do not exchange data between channels efficiently and cause various issues, including duplication of files and data, bottlenecks within retail processes, and difficulties for operational staff. Most importantly, customers cannot alternate between channels efficiently.
Rigid technology – The essence of an omnichannel strategy is the flexibility and malleability of technology. As customer-preferred journeys change rapidly, rigid and inflexible software tools often fail to deliver the omnichannel promise.
Lack of personalization – Many omnichannel platforms get overwhelmed by data deluge and constant customer interactions at different touchpoints. When an omnichannel shopping solution does not provide a single view of the customer across all touchpoints, it cannot personalize customer experience intelligently.

A true omnichannel shopping experience incorporates unified consumer profiles managed by one centralized platform — the single source of truth across touchpoints and departments in real time. Most importantly, a truly omnichannel shopping experience isn’t just about using the latest omnichannel retail management system. It is about adopting a consumer-centric business strategy that evolves with socio-technological trends. It’s a philosophy, a mindset, and a business paradigm.

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Differences	Multichannel	Omnichannel
Focus	Making products and services available on multiple platforms	Ensuring seamless customer journeys across shopping platforms.
Promotion strategy	Static and product-oriented	Dynamic and personalized promotions targeted at customers based on their user behavior and interactions across all touchpoints.
Channel interaction	Platforms function independently of each other, resulting in data silos.	Real-time integration and syncing of shopping data across platforms for a unified experience.
Data management	Customer data is managed separately for each channel. This often causes data inconsistencies and inaccurate customer profiles.	A unified customer data platform ensures consistent information and a holistic customer view across all channels.
Customer service	Customer support is managed separately for each platform, resulting in poor support experience.	Integrated customer service allows customers to receive consistent support regardless of the initial contact point.
Outcome	May result in disconnected and potentially frustrating customer experiences.	Creates a unified and satisfying customer journey, fostering loyalty and brand advocacy.

Benefits of true omnichannel for businesses

Enhanced customer experience

At the heart of the omnichannel shopping experience is your customers' comfort and convenience. You will win your customers' hearts by ensuring they gain access to a personalized and attentive shopping journey across platforms. This leads to a better perception of your companies brand and enhanced loyalty.

Reduced burden on support staff

One of the main reasons customers call up support centers is that their shopping journey could be more omnichannel. When you try to deliver an omnichannel experience to your customers, you will notice a drastic reduction in the number of calls made to your contact center. This unburdens your staff so that they can focus on more critical tasks.

Enhanced sales

The logical and natural outcome of omnichannel shopping is increased sales. When customers don't have to start their buying journey all over again and when they don't encounter hurdles or bottlenecks during shopping, they will eventually make it to the checkout page and make a purchase. This dramatically increases your sales figures.

No backlogs

Omnichannel shopping ensures that your inventory management and order processing teams do not have to deal with backlogs and overstocking, thanks to a 360-degree view of both front-end and back-end processes. They also can avoid the consequences of understocking, which often makes customers feel disappointed. As all data is synced in real-time, inventory can be replenished in real-time, and orders processed successfully and quickly. This has a direct positive effect on your ROI.

Gain competitive advantage

Multiple studies show that discounts and loyalty programs are not enough to entice or retain high-value customers. Providing a pleasant and intuitive shopping experience is essential, which is only possible with omnichannel shopping strategies. By implementing a true omnichannel shopping strategy, you will also gain a competitive edge.