Creating a seamless shopping experience across offline and online stores through an Omni-channel retailing approach in order to accept that consumers are savvy enough to research prices and products online before coming in-store, or else try out products in the bricks and mortar world before buying online.
It’s essential that supply chains, back-end processes and data flows are aligned to make omni-channel a reality. If a customer that has bought online finds their item is not ready for collection at their local store, or that the information they researched about another product turns out to be inaccurate, they’ll simply vote with their feet. And there are plenty of competitors out there doing omni-channel well for them to try instead.
Why is omni-channel important? Because if done correctly, it mitigates two of the biggest reasons shoppers walk out of a store without buying anything: inadequate product selection and items out-of-stock.
Most of merchants believe shoppers are more demanding than they used to be. Armed with their smartphones, they expect merchants to know their shopping history and preferences, and to provide them with information and recommendations on products when asked. It’s the omni-channel way, and one which retailers must grow accustomed to.
Although back-end processes and supply chains are important to the smooth running of an omni-channel retail environment, the first step you should take is to prepare the appropriate technological platform. Especially in order to provide the followings to our staffs (colleagues):
- Stock Information
- Alternative products online
- Loyalty discounts and offers
- Specific Applications which help staff build long-term relationships with customers based on their preferences.
Omni-channel is central to the philosophy of PAYⓜGATE series. Our product line-ups and integrated platforms offer merchants the opportunity to accept payments anywhere in store, wherever the customer is, by card or simply the tap of an Android/Apple device. All of our product can be docked with internet-connected devices which run these kinds of functionalities. This solution will be in helping merchants answer customer queries on the spot and even order out of stock items there and then. It’s all about boosting that customer engagement through a seamless shopping experience, and minimizing the chances of anyone walking out of your store without buying.