Blog: Getting the multichannel basics right

2013 is likely to be the year of getting the basics right – from returns to delivery, the so-called basics of multichannel retailing are those areas where customer expectations tend to be highest at the moment.

Whether it’s having to wait for a delivery or being unable to return a click and collect item in store - especially when a shopper can see the item on the shop floor – it’s the seemingly small issues that annoy consumers.This is backed up by recent consumer research from Oracle, which interviewed consumers from seven countries including the UK, Russia, the US and Brazil in summer 2012.

The research highlighted a number of issues for retailers to tackle in the coming year, including extending choice and improving search and navigation online to enable shoppers to find things easily. Across all seven countries Amazon ranked highly, with several choosing it as their favourite retailer.

Sarah Taylor, director of retail at Oracle, said at a roundtable last week that integrated services such as returns need attention first of all, especially for store retailers who want to compete with Amazon. But she warned it’s far from simple. “This kind of service often means realigning the business – it’s not just a process issue, it needs change management and it’s cultural. It’s also about equipping stores better.”