Mastering the Art of Omnichannel Retailing

The world of retail and digital commerce is evolving at a blistering pace, driven by dramatic changes in consumer behavior and advances in technology. An exponential rise in the capability and availability of new technologies, which preceded the pandemic, laid the foundation that the industry pivoted to as COVID-19 created a barrage of logistic, organizational, and operational challenges.

Social distancing measures, quarantine restrictions, and consumer anxiety about the virus drove a seismic shift in shopping behaviors. Rather than visiting a brick-and-mortar store to browse and evaluate options, consumers rapidly shifted to online channels, accelerating the already developing trend of turning to digital sources to discover and learn about products. Today, even when consumers intend to purchase an item in-store, 44% of US adults expect to find online information first, and 33% will forgo their store visit entirely if the business does not provide online inventory visibility1 .

And while an effective inventory management solution can help meet shoppers’ expectations online, Forrester points out that online visibility and availability aren’t enough for the new wave of consumers because “customers’ expectations go beyond a simple ‘buy anywhere, anytime’ mentality.” Instead, retailers need to invest in integrated experiences, like Nordstrom’s cross-channel styling and recommendation services detailed in this Forrester report.1