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Offering customers the ability to seamlessly move from online shopping to brick and mortar and back to online is the crux of the omnichannel experience.<\/p>\n
Shoppers can buy products 24\/7, go to a physical store for an in-person inspection, and then make the purchase using either channel based on convenience.<\/p>\n
Increasing numbers of retailers are incorporating omnichannel aspects into their business plans, including buy online, pickup in store (BOPIS), endless aisles and curbside pickup.<\/p>\n
Creating efficient and profitable omnichannel strategies is a challenge for any business, yet their importance is well understood.<\/p>\n
A recent study by Multichannel Merchant and Brightpearl found that 87% of retailers agree omnichannel is a critical business function, yet only 8% believe they are proficient at implementation.<\/p>\n
That indicates a long road ahead: Retailers are clearly overcome with the technical challenges and customer expectations that are large parts of implementing an omnichannel presence.<\/p>\n
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Recently, retail powerhouse Walmart has taken up the omnichannel challenge.<\/p>\n
Walmart introduced its shoppers to a new e-commerce feature: 3D virtual shopping. Viewers can “walk through” an apartment outfitted with home goods sold by Walmart.<\/p>\n
Certain items are designated as being available through the retailer, and by selecting an icon, the shopper can view a brief description and is offered an option to place it into a shopping cart.<\/p>\n
The experience offers shoppers the benefit of seeing how items look in context: How an object will look in a home, rather than on a shelf in a store with dozens of similar items next to it.<\/p>\n
Furniture stores have been using similar staging techniques forever. But Walmart, like other big-box retailers, has no space to devote to setting up faux living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.<\/p>\n
So using e-commerce site \u2014 where space is plentiful \u2014 is the perfect solution.<\/p>\n
The apartment showcases roughly 70 different items, and it is easy to see how the virtual environment can be used an infinite number of ways.<\/p>\n
Walmart plans to add “Buy the Room,” which lets customers add groups of coordinated products to their shopping carts at one time.<\/p>\n
Aimed initially at shoppers for dorm-room items, five curated collections will be offered.<\/p>\n
Such unique online experiences can help create a seamless omnichannel experience for shoppers.<\/p>\n
For example, a mom and daughter go shopping for the daughter’s first apartment. They arrive at Walmart, but are overwhelmed by the selection and can’t visualize how items will look in an apartment.<\/p>\n
Pulling up walmart.com on a mobile phone offers a 3D apartment tour, helping put the items in a more familiar environment.<\/p>\n
Some of the items can be purchased while they are in the store \u2014 and others may be only available online.<\/p>\n
Both sales channels are used to provide the customers exactly the items they desire.<\/p>\n
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A recent Accenture study found that 32% of consumers said that the integrating the mobile, website and in-store shopping experience is the biggest improvement retailers need to make.<\/p>\n
The old \u201ccustomer-centric,\u201d multichannel approach is being replaced by a more assertive, customer-driven approach.<\/p>\n
It is not enough for companies to simply know each customer, but they must also respond dynamically to customers who are constantly re-evaluating what they want to buy and where they want to buy it.<\/p>\n
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Photo by\u00a0Nicole Honeywill<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Offering customers the ability to seamlessly move from online shopping to brick and mortar and back to online is the crux of the omnichannel experience. Shoppers can buy products 24\/7, go to a physical store for an in-person … Continue reading