Retailers are increasingly aware of the benefits of multi-channel distribution. Brand value in multiple points of contact Building has been proven to drive loyalty and interaction among consumers. With trends showing clearly the Internet as a building block for pre-purchase research, the brick and mortar brands can not afford to take a wait and see approach with respect to the main multi-channel offerings.
Three essential improvements to be performed flawlessly to have a true multi-channel integration:
• In-store kiosks combine
Take advantage of e-commerce store in a store solves fundamental stock situations, provides a new channel for up / cross selling, and maximize profitability per square meter.
• in-store pickup
Stir buy online and pickup in-store functionality eliminates the barrier of shipping in the equation for online sales. With shipping costs being the number one driver for which buyers choose not to purchase online - this initiative to reduce the inhibitory major customers to purchase based on sales while driving incremental traffic in stores. The solution also provides greater convenience and satisfaction for the consumer, because they no longer have to wait to receive their goods.
• In Store Returns
To return products that were purchased online, in store, can bring many bottlenecks technological back-end on the radar screen. Forward thinking retailers to accurately map their order processing and inventory data to empower service associated with the data they need to reconcile and close the transaction efficiently at point of sale.
Slow processing and poor people will experience back nearly erode a consumer relationship that was expensive to start and maintain.
Get your organization on board with change
Convince business leaders that these initiatives can provide a return on investment will be difficult but this challenge is nothing compared to what is faced in your store network. The change of perspective in the rank and file employees in your organization will prove to be your hardest task in respect of these initiatives
In the three solutions above, the transaction fits with the Web physical store. The store is the last piece of the puzzle in the three scenarios, making it the most crucial element to deliver a proper transaction. If your employees do not run successfully at this level, the result is a solution not used, or worse, a customer point of view that your employees are incompetent.
The key is to teach employees aligned with multi-channel change. This happens by driving two key operational strategies in conjunction with a multi-channel technology.
• Training
Store managers must take the lead in understanding the multi-channel solutions, while leading efforts to replicate this knowledge in customer facing employees.
Before starting the solution, be sure to communicate the internal and external value between the base manager, create a manual solution for employee questions and get managers in the home office for a one-day workshop and half to become experts on the right before the solution goes live.
• Incentives
Employees must feel that the order generated Web still has some advantages for them.To drive accountability, some type of carrot should be given to ensure that employees have reason to treat the transaction-oriented Web seriously.
Because in the stores employees receive bonuses for the sales model, create some type of award program for the efficiency with respect to store multi-channel solutions.Or provide a piece of all sales on the Web, distributed on a regional basis.
Understanding the dynamics of your employees - how they work and what motivates them. By closing the gaps in training and incentives, multi-channel success becomes much closer to being reality.
