Multichannel should be simple – it is about how your customers shop for your products or services using different channels (your stores, your site, a catalogue, a phone).
It’s about recognising that they navigate between these channels without realising it and expecting a consistent experience throughout. And it’s about using each of your channels for what it’s best at to make the experience simple and enjoyable.
Multichannel is not: an obscure buzzword reserved for the web community, a synonym for internet retailing, an excuse to spend fortunes on the latest technical tools. We’re not saying it’s easy. But approached in the right way – from your customers’ point of view; and step by step – leveraging your existing assets and taking staff and customers on a journey: you will be amazed at how accessible and value-enhancing it can be.
Some say only multichannel organisations will survive. All we know is, enabling multichannel has created substantial value for all the clients we’ve helped.
Why is it important?
Internet retailing is still only contributing 7% to UK retail sales and its growth is slowing down. Multichannel retail will represent up to 50% of UK retail sales by 2013.
Not being multichannel means:
- Not taking advantage of incredible growth and value
- Multichannel spending is growing at twice the rate of pure online spend and ten times the rate of overall retail spend.
- Multichannel customers spend more (3 to 8 times for retailers who’ve analysed it).
- Losing customers to competitors who are:
- 50% of customers switch retailer when switching shopping channel – not if you’re multichannel.
- Online retail IS cannibalising physical shops – not if you’re multichannel.
eNova's hands-on approach turned us from a loss making operation to a profitable one within 2 months. We have worked with many so called 'experts' but eNova were the first to deliver on their promises. I would recommend their knowledge and no-nonsense approach to anyone.
—Richard Boland COO,
Royal Doulton EMEA
Success:
We invented and deployed the first and most successful order on-line, collect in store service.