Using Unified Commerce to Enhance the Customer Experience
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 80% of all retail sales occur in brick-and-mortar stores. Online sales have hovered between 15% and 20% of all retail sales since the pandemic, and customers still use online resources to research new purchases and check for product availability and pricing. Customers also expect a seamless product return experience, whether or not the item was purchased in the store.
Advantages of unified commerce
Many retailers are adopting unified commerce strategies to ensure their in-store customers receive a quality shopping experience. Unified commerce links all your retail channels so customers can enjoy a seamless shopping experience regardless of how they purchase from your company.
Here are five advantages for considering a unified commerce solution:
- Offer a personalized shopping experience – When online and in-store systems are disconnected, it is difficult to detect overall sales trends in real time or track the personal preferences of shoppers who make purchases online and in your retail store. A unified commerce solution will track all purchases in the same database, whether online or in-store, allowing you to search customer preferences in real-time. This will enable sales staff on the floor to recognize unique purchase preferences and offer suggestions to enhance in-store purchases.
- Streamline the returns process – From the customer’s point of view, there is no difference between your online presence and your physical store. So, if they need to return an item, they want the same level of service whether they return it online or in the store. Using unified commerce, you will be able to see online and in-store purchases together and offer a seamless returns process.
- Accurate inventory counts—Stockouts are always a problem, particularly when customers check to see if the item is in stock before they arrive at the store. Unified commerce will allow customers and your salespeople on the floor to see in real-time the items that are in stock at each of your stores. Store owners can also set automatic reorder points to ensure items are replenished and avoid stockouts of popular items.
- Increase your service offerings – Retailers are augmenting their income and differentiating themselves by offering services that augment their primary retail business. For example, hardware stores might offer equipment rentals of their higher-priced items, fabric stores might provide sewing classes, and sporting goods or musical instrument stores might offer repair services. Having a flexible software solution that not only unifies your sales channels but also lets you expand your service offerings can be a game-changer.
- Empower your sales staff – When customers ask for assistance, they expect the salesperson to locate the items they are looking for. With a unified retail solution, salespeople on the floor can carry handheld devices to tell whether the requested items are in stock in the size, color, and style the customer wants. Even if the item is out of stock at that particular store, the salesperson will be able to tell whether the item is available at a nearby warehouse or storefront location and even have the item brought to the store while the customer is there.
We understand unified retail
We understand how important it is for your store to offer your customers a personalized buying experience, which will build trust in your brand. If you’re interested in finding out how a unified commerce solution can help your retail business grow, contact ArcherPoint.