Omnichannel

This webinar discusses the trends that are impacting the world of omnichannel eCommerce and how you can deal with them.

The most interesting part of Deckers Outdoor Corp.'s newest brick-and-mortar store isn't the lineup of Ugg boots and Sanuk sandals, it's the electronic hardware fixed throughout the space. A centrally placed bank of eight iPads allows customers to order out-of-stock items online and ship them free of charge. At a large touchscreen installed in one wall, shoppers can customize a pair of shearling boots and have them delivered. The 8,000-square-foot store is the first from Deckers to feature all seven of its footwear brands — which also include Teva, Tsubo, Ahnu and Mozo — for sale under one roof.

DSW plans to spend $10 million on systems that let customers obtain the shoes they want whether online or in stores and to better compete with the likes of Zappos.com. The footwear and accessories retailer also announced plans to expand the chain by more than 100 stores over the next three years. DSW officials outlined an "omnichannel" strategy yesterday that allows customers access to DSW's entire inventory — across all stores, warehouses and e-commerce fulfillment centers — whenever they want to buy shoes and whether they buy in-store, online or via mobile device.

Organizational, operational and technology challenges are hampering retailers’ efforts to meet customers’ demands for a seamless shopping experience across all channels and touchpoints. According to a new research study from Accenture and Hybris Software, retailers view omnichannel maturity as a key brand differentiator for their companies, and improving their ability to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience across all channels as a top priority. The study shows that nearly all (94 percent) retail decision makers surveyed said that their companies face significant barriers to becoming an integrated omnichannel company.

As a robot rolled down the aisle welcoming attendees of NEMOA's directXchange conference to yesterday morning's keynote presentation, it was clear what the theme of Jim Speltz's speech would be: innovation. The unusual entrance for Brookstone's president and CEO — he followed shortly behind the robot that was broadcasting his voice to the crowd — exemplifies the culture of innovation embodied at the omnichannel retailer of unique gifts.

"Omnichannel" has held center stage as a trend and buzzword for retailers for the past year or so. Aided by the recovering economy and a more engaged consumer base, it's important to understand what retailers have learned from their omnichannel efforts to move beyond mere "buzz" to truly effective execution across channels.

If you were one of the 111.5 million people watching the Super Bowl earlier this month, you might have noticed a commercial from jewelry company Alex and Ani. While the Super Bowl might seem like a funny place for a jewelry company to be advertising — amidst all the beer, soda, technology and cars — the move was just another one of Alex and Ani's unconventional business strides. The Rhode Island company was started by jewelry maker Carolyn Rafaelian in 2004. Over the last 10 years, the company has grown 365 percent in revenue from $2 million to $230 million.

In 2014, technology investments will account for more than 30 percent of Nordstrom's CapEx investment plan, up from roughly 20 percent in previous years. The retailer is also refreshing stores more efficiently by letting the customer experience — rather than the age of the store — drive the process. To keep pace with the ongoing evolution of retail, Nordstrom is also adjusting its investments to better support its multichannel growth strategy and achieve greater mobile execution. It's very clear that advancements in technology, specifically in e-commerce and mobile, are redefining the customer experience across all channels.

Cold weather has been blamed for a lot of bad economic data this year, including retailers’ weak sales. After all, it's easier to stay home and order everything online. But for shoppers who still make the effort to drive to stores, retailers are trying to make the process a little more rewarding. Sears has introduced a drive-through shopping option: if you buy something online and choose to pick it up at the store, you don't have to leave the warmth of your car. In five minutes or less, a store associate will bring your shopping cart out to you.

By now, it's old hat for brand-name designers to team up with discount retailers (Stella McCartney for H&M, Isaac Mizrahi for Target, Vera Wang for Kohl's, to name just a few). Target now plans to dip into a new pool of talent by partnering with three of Pinterest's top influencers. Joy Cho of Oh Joy, Jan Halvarson of Poppytalk and Kate Arends of Wit & Delight, who, in addition to being Pinterest darlings also write fashion blogs or work in design in some capacity, will collaborate with the retailer on limited-edition collections of party items.