Amazon has been chipping away at the profits of brick-and-mortar stores for awhile, but now, these traditional retailers are finally figuring out how to fight back. Omni-channel has been the retail buzz word of the year. Shoppers want various points of access to retailers – mobile, web, brick-and-mortar – and they expect the experience to be flawless and easy. As of late, major retailers have been happy to comply.
Staples is in the midst of a redesign that more closely aligns their in-store, online and mobile app experience. The new system allows for on-the-go store location, online ordering with in-store pickup and other features that cater to mobile users. Staples was inspired to make the change when they realized they are well on their way to mobile accounting for 50% of their online traffic.
But when it comes to online versus brick-and-mortar super giants, the big battle has to be between Amazon and Walmart. Amazon arguably made the first move when it started expanding its network of warehouses to increase shipping speed, working its way to same day delivery options. Walmart responded by rolling out same-day delivery pilots. As it turns out, this is only the beginning of Walmart’s move to embrace e-commerce.
Walmart has expanded its e-commerce arm, @WalmartLabs, to a larger, more prominent space in California to compete for talent with longstanding tech mainstays. From the New York Times:
The company has had a small presence near Silicon Valley for more than a decade, but until recently, engineers in the area barely knew it existed. It signed a lease three years ago for the San Bruno office, north of the valley — and across the street from YouTube — and is opening another this fall in Sunnyvale, home of Yahoo, in the heart of the valley. It is trying hard to prove it is one of the cool kids.
Following Amazon, Walmart has revamped its online and mobile technology. It has software to watch social media like Pinterest for popular products and to monitor online prices and lower them accordingly or alert merchants.
And it has created a mobile app that flips into in-store mode when customers enter a store and guides them to the milk or celery and offers digital coupons; customers can scan items as they shop for quick self-checkout.
Read more at New York Times >>>
Major retailers will need to keep innovating if they want to keep up with e-commerce giants and boutique upstarts, who have technology and innovation in their blood. And while “omni-channel” maybe a buzzword, the spirit behind this commerce movement has staying power. Brands can no longer rely on one presence (be it mobile-only, online or storefront), they need to give their shoppers options that fit today’s increasingly time sensitive and on-the-go nature. And they need to do it well – shoppers will have little patience for an app, feature or process that doesn’t work flawlessly every time. If they get tripped up, they’ll simply move on to another retailer.