If you have a traditional brick-and-mortar store and want to start selling online, you can’t just set up a Shopify account and take off. You must consider many things, like if your inventory will be in a distribution centre; if you’re able to reserve at the store; if you can shop online and pick up in-store, and more.
Moving from a traditional brick-and-motor store to an online shop is a whole different ball game than simply setting up a business at Amazon or Shopify. You need to figure out how or if you’ll replenish a physical store; if your inventory availability is viewable on your website; and if you are going to be truly omnichannel or just multichannel. What is the difference between the two?
A brick-and-mortar store with a website is doing multichannel retail. If you purchase something inside the store and you can only return it inside the store, then that is multichannel retail.
However, say you spotted a product on Facebook, and it led you to an online store where you purchased the product online. Or that when you wanted to change the size of an item you ordered online, you managed to do it inside the brick-and-mortar store. That is the true omnichannel experience.
SMART Retail can provide the right support for both the multichannel and omnichannel experiences, but as seen in our previous blogs, omnichannel is the most profitable. That’s why a smart brick-and-mortar store will consider this option first before going online.
SMART Retail offers a solution for all your omnichannel concerns and questions. SMART Retail is about meeting the customer at every point of their buying journey. Having a brick-and-mortar store, a Facebook page, a website, and being where the customer is. This helps to increase customer satisfaction because you will be able to meet the shopper right where they want, and where it is most convenient and easy for them.
Such an experience requires the brick-and-mortar store to access a lot of data, which needs to be carefully managed as it can exist in separate silos across an entire organization. In the meantime, marketing databases may not be connected with systems able to register choices or preferences. This is where SMART Retail comes into place, allowing all these points to be interconnected and managed properly, creating an ideal omnichannel experience.
SMART Retail is your go-to solution for creating a seamless omnichannel for your customers. The next time you think of going online, think of SMART Retail first. To learn more about our many solutions ranging from the aerospace industry to high technology, visit us at https://sheaglobal.com/