Omnichannel experiences are ones that provide a seamless shopping experience across all channels – in brick-and-mortar stores and across digital. To do it well, your messaging and the purchasing processes must be consistent and harmonious.
Why is omnichannel marketing essential?
This attempt to be everywhere for everyone means that traditional retailers could have an advantage over online-only retailers by leveraging their physical storefronts as an important channel in the customer journey. There’s significant revenue opportunity from providing digital channels to traditional store shoppers, and fusing the shopping experience across channels. Omnichannel marketing attracts shoppers that are more valuable than both online-only and in-store-only shoppers. They spend an average of 4% more on every shopping occasion in the store and 10% more online than single-channel customers. And, with every additional channel they use, omnichannel shoppers spend more money in the store.
Omnichannel marketing also increases customer loyalty. Within six months after an omnichannel experience, customers log 23% more repeat shopping trips to the retailer’s stores and are more likely to recommend that brand to family and friends, compared to those who used a single channel.
Who’s getting omnichannel strategy right?
Lids Sports Group was just named the #1 omnichannel retailer for its experience that offers buy online pick up in store options, a search for in-store products online, shared carts, loyalty points/rewards that can be earned and redeemed across channels, and more.
One of the experiences making Lids a retail leader is its mobile application, Access Pass, which provides a gateway into its loyalty program centered on rewarding shoppers with exclusive deals and access to once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The app and Access Pass program provide shoppers instant and mobile connection to unique options and perks. Members can easily use the app to track points and rewards, engage with Lids’ social channels, and receive exclusive in-app offers. Lids is committed to their goal of allowing fans to engage with the brand, however, whenever, and wherever they want.
What can you do about it?
Retail is being reinvented, and traditional companies need to adapt to a new model. It’s important to not see the physical stores as a death certificate, but as an opportunity in an omnichannel retailing world. Traditionally, stores were optimized for driving transactions. But today, transactions can happen anywhere. Physical locations need to do something more by looking to fill the void of what shoppers can’t do online – build relationships, offer service, solve problems.
Companies without a physical location should still be multi-channel, interacting with customers across websites, marketplaces, social, mobile and more. Having a website isn’t enough; you have to meet customers where they are.
What’s next for omnichannel?
Beacon technology is stirring things up in the retail industry as companies use the data collected when customers browse in their native apps and brick-and-mortar stores to personalize messaging and create a seamless experience.
Beacons are small, battery-powered devices that, when placed throughout a brick-and-mortar location, communicate via bluetooth with nearby mobile devices. So if a customer has viewed specific products using your native app and then visited one of your stores, the beacons located near the previously viewed products will alert the customer with targeted messaging and offers. You can also provide personalized messaging and content through your app, based on the products the customer has previously viewed in-store.
To learn about more of the experiences your customers are looking for, download our free guide, The 5 Essential Retail Experiences.
