It was Bill Gates who said, “The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.” Well, “tomorrow” is now.
Today’s tech tools have changed how we shop. We can browse in a store, or browse online. We can order stuff with our cell phones. We can even demand immediate delivery – whether shopping in-store or online.
Thanks to the internet, customers rule. And retailers must adapt if they want to ensure a seamless and positive experience for their customers.
To achieve customer loyalty for your business you must have a system in place that unifies all the tech avenues customers now have available to them when they shop. Whether it’s searching for an item on the company website, ordering merchandise using a mobile app, or making a purchase in person, each buying option needs to work in sync.
Of course, there is a term for all of this. Omnichanneling. According to a report from the National Retail Federation (NRF), “As technology evolves and consumers adapt to new ways of shopping, retailers continue to optimize their in-store offerings and online presence to engage consumers at every corner of their retail experience…The growing omnichannel approach to retail gives consumers familiar consistency whether they are shopping on their phone, on a tablet or laptop, or in the actual store.”
However, to ensure success, delivering the goods is crucial. That, after all, is key to customer satisfaction.
The best way to do that is to incorporate a comprehensive inventory management system into your omnichannel strategy – a system that can forecast demand, keep accurate counts, find storage locations, track the status of items once shipped, and more. Thanks to the internet, retailers can rule too. The technology is there. Use it.