It’s no secret that consumer shopping practices and purchasing decisions have changed dramatically in recent years. Seventy-three percent of retail shoppers today shop across multiple channels, and they’re nearly 20% more likely to buy from stores that offer options for pick-up.
Moreover, consumers expect this omnichannel retail experience to be seamless. As they research and buy products from online shops, brick and mortar stores, social media apps, it all needs to work without a hitch.
How can retailers live up to these expectations? How can they deliver the personalized, seamless experiences that enable shoppers to interact with them anywhere, anytime, on the channel of their choice?
There are three core fundamentals for omnichannel retail CX:
- Personalization
- Effective order management
- Flexible fulfillment
Omnichannel retail experiences need the personal touch
Consumers today expect brands they do business with to know them. A retailer’s personalization strategy should create a customized experience across all channels a consumer touches. A retailer can then reach the right customers with the right message at the right time.
Executed effectively, this strategy answers the most important questions a consumer is likely to have – how can the retailer’s product or service help them solve a problem, and why should the customer remain loyal to the brand.
However, according to research from SAP Emarsys, 40% of retailers struggle to deliver relevant product recommendations to customers.
The best omnichannel retail experiences are grounded in customer insight. With the right technology, retailers can use the customer data they capture from online and offline channels to develop holistic customer profiles. By knowing how customers are engaging across channels, retailers can tailor product recommendations and promotions for the best outcomes.
Today, AI is playing a big role in helping retailers create personalized experiences that drive loyalty. By analyzing customer data, including browsing habits and purchase history, AI provides retailers with deeper customer insight for relevant product placement and promotions across channels.
Order orchestration’s starring role in omnichannel CX
To deliver omnichannel retail experiences that keep customers coming back, brands need effective order management. After all, getting orders right is fundamental to commerce success. But now, with all the channels customers can use to make purchases, it can be challenging.
Modern order management software helps retailers overcome the complexity by giving them the ability to connect multiple frontend sales channels to their backend systems to ensure product availability, order accuracy, and returns processing. Advanced systems provide real-time inventory visibility to both retail staff and the customer, and route product from the optimal location.
This kind of technology provides a single source of truth and orchestration across systems. The result is improved agility and operational efficiency for increased customer satisfaction and profitability.
Canac, a hardware and furniture retailer in Canada, uses SAP solutions to provide seamless omnichannel experiences, including making it easy for customers to modify their orders.
Flexible retail fulfillment experiences
With American shoppers expected to spend $154.3 billion on BOPIS purchases, up from $95.8 billion in 2022, flexible fulfillment must be a priority.
Advanced systems help retailers orchestrate processes in the supply chain and fulfillment locations to overcome the complexity of omnichannel delivery and meets the needs of consumers who have no patience for delays.
With AI, retailers can optimize inventory management by predicting future buying trends and aligning stock with demand. Automation reduces manual tasks to speed processes and bolster fulfillment capabilities.
Artificial intelligence also can help retailers streamline and improve delivery logistics. AI-informed route planning can reduce transit times and help retailers avoid service disruptions.
Returns are a big headache for retailers and customers alike. This is another aspect of omnichannel retail that brands have to get right or risk losing customers.
New technology solutions leverage AI to help retailers improve returns management by making it easy for consumers to return items, optimizing disposition of returned goods, and detect trends and fraudulent behavior.
Omnichannel retail: Ready for what’s next
Consumer habits change all the time, so the key is to be agile. New technologies and AI provide retailers with the ability to keep up with changing buying trends and market conditions.
With more than 60% of retailers planning to increase their investment in AI infrastructure over the next 18 months, AI’s role in omnichannel retail will only grow.
By streamlining their operations and leveraging intelligent technologies, retailers can go beyond simply meeting customer expectations to exceeding them.