Dive Brief:
-
Despite knowing the importance of smooth omnichannel retail operations, most companies are having difficulty meeting the demand, according to research from management and technology consulting firm Accenture and muti-channel software company Hybris Software, conducted by analytics firm Forrester Consulting.
-
For the report, Customer Desires vs. Retailer Capabilities: Minding the Omnichannel Commerce Gap, Forrester surveyed more than 1,500 multichannel consumers and 256 retail and manufacturing decision-makers in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
-
More than 70% of shoppers expect to be able to see in-store inventory online, 50% expect in-store pickup for online purchases, and 39% said they were unlikely or very unlikely to shop at a retailer that doesn’t have information on in-store inventory. Only 36% of companies surveyed could provide those services, the study found.
Dive Insight:
This research shows not only the importance of omnichannel services for customers, but also how important physical stores are to them. This calls into question the accepted notion that underperforming stores should be closed as e-commerce rises. It may be more that physical stores have a different role to play as expectations for omnichannel rise. A closed store is literally no store at all, and a missed opportunity to meet consumers’ shopping and fulfillment expectations.