{"id":4997,"date":"2020-12-05T03:33:37","date_gmt":"2020-12-05T02:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.perspective-int.com\/?p=4997"},"modified":"2021-01-05T17:00:39","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T16:00:39","slug":"omnichannel-sales-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.perspective-int.com\/en\/omnichannel-sales-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"From a General Store to Omni-Channel Sales: Trends & Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Digitalization in sales, eCommerce and online shopping has been a topic of discussion for many years. This year, the Corona virus has had a dramatic effect on its development. Whilst physical businesses are closing, online businesses are booming!
\n<\/p>\n

In the shadow of the omnipresent, global player, Amazon, numerous new digital market places and online shops are springing up everywhere. This has led businesses to ask themselves how to advance their eCommerce activities and combine them with their previous business or sales models in a way that promotes sales.<\/p>\n

Omni-channel sales<\/strong>,\u00a0omni-channel marketing<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0omni-channel management <\/strong>are terms which are often used in this context. This development can be clearly seen in concerns such as IKEA in Sweden which has been converting its business into an omnichannel provider for quite some time.<\/p>\n

However, the omni-channel approach is not only interesting for large businesses. Small and middle-sized businesses can also undoubtedly profit from such an approach.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

In this blog we\u2019d like to present you 5 concrete tips on how you can implement omni-channel approaches. To begin with, let\u2019s take a look as to how this trend has developed at all:<\/p>\n

In the past:
\nThe general store or “everything you need under one roof”<\/h2>\n

In the past, the \u201cgeneral store\u201d<\/a> was the perfect solution for providing all things necessary to customers everywhere, especially in rural areas.<\/p>\n

\"General

\u00a9 Walker Evans (Public Domain) via Wikipedia<\/p><\/div>\n

Today, there has been a sort of renaissance of this concept in the form of \u201cvillage stores\u201d whereby shop-keepers are now probably quite different to those in days gone by.\u00a0 Over many decades, large chain stores, such as Macy\u2019s, Hudson\u2018s Bay, Harrods, Galeries Lafayette, Isetan Mitsukoshi, have taken over the role of providing everything under one roof in towns and cities. General stores and all types of department stores delivered a value-added of the logistical, simple availability of numerous, diverse products to their customers, and all in one single place.<\/p>\n

Trend:
\nAcquire customers, wherever they may be<\/h2>\n

Today, logistically seen, availability is no longer the main deciding factor for consumers which is the reason department stores are no longer so attractive for shoppers. Meanwhile, people can order just about anything they want on the internet, which can be delivered in the shortest possible time using a global network of logistics systems. With this, a significant criterion for brand articles, namely their universal availability, can now be completely fulfilled as a result of the development of online shopping and eCommerce for all businesses, independent of their size. Consumers are increasingly determining what happens and it is they who decide if a brand or a product is successful.<\/p>\n

\"\"

This Store in London has alternative sales channels ready for periods of lockdown.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Therefore consumers have to be addressed and acquired at all areas where they meet and move in other words at what are known as \u201cCustomer Touchpoints\u201d:<\/strong><\/p>\n

on online market places in web shops, via social media, at home, at work (e.g. the home office) at places where they spend their free time\u2026 and in shops. In short: in and via all channels of communication and sales\u2026 in other words:\u00a0O<\/strong>MNI-CHANNEL<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Management Tips:
\nTo the future with Omni-channel management<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here are 5 essential points, including some extra tips, for the successful transformation to an o<\/strong>mni-channel approach<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

#1 Open your vision and thoughts to new things<\/h3>\n

Was und wie auch immer Sie in der \u201eAlten Welt\u201c gedacht haben: lassen Sie es hinter sich und \u00f6ffnen Sie Ihren Blick f\u00fcr das Neue. Wenn Sie die gleichzeitige Nutzung unterschiedlicher Vertriebskan\u00e4le im Rahmen Ihres Gesch\u00e4ftsmodells bisher aus guten Gr\u00fcnden strikt ausgeschlossen hatten, kann jetzt genau das Gegenteil richtig und notwendig sein!<\/p>\n

Tip<\/span>

#2 Don’t tip the baby out with the bathwater!<\/h3>\n

If eCommerce now seems to be the panacea for sales growth, don\u2019t throw all other considerations to date overboard! A good retail strategy or a smart direct sales concept does not go wrong over night\u2026 but perhaps no longer works or is less effective alone.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/span>