Belk's Omnichannel Journey

Phase 2: Replace IT infrastructure, merchandising platform. Belk's previous e-commerce and merchandising platforms were legacy systems that weren't scalable. The company has budgeted $80 million and 27 months to upgrade these platforms; it's 17 months into this process, Belk said.

Phase 3: Become omnichannel. Belk has invested $230 million to make this goal a reality. It's a four-year process and the company has dedicated 250 employees (at its peak) to the project, Belk said. The company has identified five distinct stages of the project: replace e-commerce platform; replace point-of-sale system; expand mobile offerings; integrate customer data; and establish enterprise inventory.