It's an almost unavoidable fact that the e-commerce world moves at the speed of light - thanks to fiberoptic global communications, this is literally true. But even figuratively, the e-commerce world is a constantly shifting landscape of innovation as retailers large and small move to counter the advantages gained by others, while increasing their own competitive ability and marketing position. Competitor tracking is one of the most essential elements of the online retail world, and allows even the smallest businesses to stay abreast of the latest retail tactics.
The latest concept that's taking the retail world by storm is presented as a solution to the competition between online and offline markets: omnichannel retailing. Channels, as most retailers are aware, is simply another way of describing ways of interacting with customers, whether it be via email, websites, mobile browsing, or brick and mortar store foot traffic. In a world that was struggling to adapt to the sudden rise of e-commerce, channels were becoming increasingly fragmented, with the left hand not knowing what the right was doing, so to speak, more often than not, as websites and stores offered different deals, different prices, and in some cases even different products. Needless to say, this was a growing hassle for both retailers and customers alike.
Omnichannel retail solves all those discrepancies by stressing the essential nature of a consistent experience for customers, no matter how they choose to interact with a business. Unlike many buzzwords, this one appears to have gained real traction in the business community, as evidenced by the recent "First Annual Symposium on Omni Retailing", held in New York City at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
While the focus of the symposium was on fashion retail and how it can be enhanced by using omnichannel retail strategies, it makes perfect sense that fashion retailers would be at the forefront of a distributed but consistent retail experience, as many shoppers who browse fashion online are still unwilling to purchase without actually trying the final product. Lending some serious weight to the event was the speaker list, which included representatives from Microsoft, Birchbox, and The Boston Consulting Group, as well as a keynote address by Peter Nordstrom, from the retailer of the same name, a real coup for the event organizers as he rarely speaks at any sort of event.
In a world dominated by multiple channels, the true competitive advantage will be held by those who can deliver consistently excellent experiences to customers, no matter how they choose to interact. Getting in on the ground floor can ensure your business stays ahead of the curve, instead of behind the eight ball.
