subject: Beginners Guide To Multichannel Retail Software [print this page] In the past, everyone had to go to the bricks and mortar store to gain access to their favourite products and brands. But customers wanted faster and easier access than physically going to the shop. To address the issues, marketing strategies like multi-channelling were introduced. This led to innovations like a sales catalogue that could gain access to the products easily without having to go to the stores. Soon, tools like the multichannel retail software and the internet stepped into ecommerce, and the rest, they say, is history.
Evolution Of Multi-channelling
If the traditional retailers were told that they were to face a world where one product or brand can be sold through so many channels, they would have thought it was an impossible dream. However, with television and the telephone, going to stores were no longer the only way to shop, it was the birth of home shopping shopping from your armchair.
Soon, many companies turned to catalogue shopping. All the interested customers had to do was to take note of the product name and catalogue number and then check the appropriate boxes. The customers had a choice of either to mail the catalogue and wait for the delivery or they could rely on agents to place the orders for them.
Enhancing Customer Satisfaction and Gaining Their Loyalty
Utilizing the multichannel interaction with customers alongside the retailing services will not only attract more customers but it will also help gain their loyalty. This will guarantee their continuous online shopping with the company no matter where the products are sold.
Multi-channelling is simply making a product more accessible to the customers. They can go anywhere online and shop any time they want without having to face the hassle of comparing prices. This is made possible with the linking of multiple stores with the high speed internet, the landline, a catalogue or even using a number of stores to retail the products. The beauty of this is that the prices are more or less the same and no matter where that product or brand is bought, the customers are guaranteed satisfied that they are buying the same product for the same price. This makes the customer feel comfortable with the product and the company.
A customer who is highly satisfied with this type of retailing strategy appreciates the consistency of their brand. This makes them feel better about the whole idea behind their shopping, online or offline and will increase their loyalty to that brand. Many customers lose their satisfaction when they go shop in one channel only to find out that there are discrepancies in quality and price; worse of all, if the shopper cannot find the product in any other channel.
This increase in satisfaction will increase their loyalty and result to more returning customers. This will ensure the company their customers and steady sales. If the customer discovers that they can try different channels to gain access to their products, they will spread the word.
The Power Of The Customer
The customers were not left unsatisfied either. They could return the product if they were found to be lacking or the wrong product was delivered. They could rely on consistent prices, offers, discount coupons, and other strategies. They could even get calls from the call centre or email from the companies regarding information on promotions and new items for sale.
What The Solutions Do
With the new technique in retail and marketing utilising multiple channels, the company can expect to have better organisation. They would be able to think of more ways to strengthen their relationship with their existing customers, as well as attract more. With a seamless shopping experience, the customers will demand more and expect more. This will only result to marketers thinking up more innovations to make everything work like a well-oiled machine.
All the different methods being used today in multichannel retail are geared to make the customer feel special. Today, customers are no longer shocked with the innovative ecommerce solutions marketers come up with. One example is the retail EPOS solutions that include software to make it easier for manufacturers and retail companies to market their products everywhere. It is a truly global approach to marketing and retail; fortunately, the customers are satisfied with them. Through a thorough understanding of what the customers may expect in their shopping experience, the multi-channelling strategy seems to work for everyone.
