Savvy retailers know the value of building a strong presence across multiple channels. However, while businesses see the brick-and-mortar store at the mall, their mobile app, their e-commerce store and their various social media pages as separate channels, shoppers see the retailer as a single brand. Customer loyalty is towards the brand and not one channel, so all channels must work together to drive customers towards the best shopping experience, wherever they may be.
To achieve a high level of customer experience in an omni-channel world, retailers need to look at three things:
People
Transformation starts with people, especially from the top down. While technology is often the answer to the many obstacles in retail, if internal cultural barriers are not broken, no form of innovation will be able to address business problems. In order to use technology to bring about the best possible customer experience, those in leadership must ensure that the entire staff are empowered, aligned, and engaged.
Technology
Once the entire organisation is on board, then the technology becomes an enabler to a better future in retail. Technology gives retailers context – who the customer is and what they value in relation to the business – and help them deliver a personalised shopping experience.
Process
The process must complement the people and the technology. While having processes in place can help ensure efficiency, retailers must also ensure that personal touch and flexibility are being offered to the customer. Physical store or online personnel must know who the customer is in the context of the business and be empowered to override processes if situations call for it.
Customer-centricity is the key towards a running a successful omni-channel retail business. Retailers should continue to engage customers on a deeper, more meaningful level through the many different platforms that they use in order to deliver the personalised customer experience they want.
In today’s highly competitive retail market, Australian retailers will be required to provide top-notch customer experience—from a seamless in-store shopping to e-commerce store browsing. If you’re ready to create your own digital supply chain, contact Club IT today on 1300 788 874.
