As every retailer knows all too well, omnichannel retail was accelerated during the pandemic, as consumers expected to be able to shop seamlessly from any platform. With those higher consumer expectations around to stay, unified commerce has emerged, as shoppers want easy access to retail data across the entire journey. Whether online, in-store – or on the way to the store – consumers expect to be able to look up product information that’s relevant to their decision to complete a purchase. From where a product was sourced and where it is on the store shelf, to if it’s available and how quickly they can get it, consumers are demanding more and more information to help with the buying process.  

And, once again, retailers are tasked with keeping up.  

The good news is that nothing needs to be done overnight. As long as retailers are committed to providing a consistent experience for their customers, small steps and improvements can deliver the kinds of omnichannel experience today’s consumers demand while laying a foundation for the inevitable changes to those expectations the future is sure to bring.  

Make Sure You Understand Your Customer  

Different retailers have different customer profiles, each with their unique set of preferences, values, expectations and habits. It’s important to use that customer profile to make sure you are delivering a personalized and consistent experience, then use any data gathered from their experiences to further tailor approaches.  

Not only does this level of understanding help deliver a better omnichannel experience, but it builds trust with your consumer, which is critical to establishing a long-term relationship, where they come back to your brand over and over again.  

This is also an opportunity to put your values on display. If your brand values sustainable and organic practices, for example, sharing that information with consumers while they are in-store and shopping online helps them not only find those product details, but highlights what’s important to your brand – and makes a deeper connection with customers that share those values. It’s also beneficial to work with like-minded suppliers or supply chains to ensure everyone in your ecosystem is aligned with what your brand stands for. 

Match who your consumer is by ensuring the attributes and descriptions of the item they want is what you are providing. Ask yourself: what are they looking for? 

Create An In-Store Experience That is Directive  

Imagine that a customer is in your store and wants more information about a product. Because there is no additional information available on the shelf, they do a Google search and find the information they’re looking for on a competitor’s site, for cheaper. The sale is lost, and they may or may not come back now that they’ve found a retailer who provides what they need to make a purchasing decision.  

Now, instead imagine that same customer scans a QR Code on the shelf that takes them to a branded site or page with more information about that same product, or can easily access a store associate with a mobile device to provide them with additional product details. They have satisfied their need for more information – based on your direction – and will likely be back to shop again, knowing they can find everything they need while in-store (or online).  

Retailers cannot provide all the information every customer wants about a product in the aisle, but you can direct them to branded places – e.g., via an app, QR Code or digital screen – where they can find it that keeps the experience consistent and continues to build that trust.   

Ensure Internal Roles are Aligned for Omnichannel   

Just because consumer expectations continue to evolve and demand new retail experiences does not mean internal roles are changing completely, but it does require some shifting. For example, in the past when in-store and online experiences were treated by retailers as two different departments, it was not a problem for each to operate in a silo. But in today’s omnichannel environment – with consumers shopping in-store and online interchangeably – internal teams need to start thinking more holistically.  

Today’s teams need to be thinking about and planning for the whole lifecycle of a product. For example, who is responsible for an item that was purchased online and returned in-store? Similarly it’s important to think about inventory management and ensure teams can work together to understand what you have and where. This ensures products stay in stock wherever your consumers are shopping and gives retailers the ability to pivot quickly when needed. Having such updated plans or structures for how teams respond to today’s landscape is not only important to meet this moment, but will be critical to remaining agile for the changes that will inevitably come in the future. This is also a great example of a process that can be done gradually, while creating tremendous benefits for delivering a consistent experience and increasing brand loyalty.   

While three actions – understanding your customer, creating a directive in-store experience and aligning internal roles – are important, there is one critical component that underlies them all: your data. How retailers collect, store, use and update item information is core to everything else that needs to happen in order to drive a consistent, valuable and trust-building experience for the consumer. When a shopper is in the aisle, that is the “last stop” on their journey; the behind-the-scenes work to create that experience was done long before.  

So, for retailers that are working to meet consumers’ ever-changing demands, the first and most important question to ask is: are our data practices where they need to be? And, if the answer is no, it’s critical to start there, before customers have a bad experience, or trust with your brand is eroded. On that foundation, all other practices and processes can be added to ensure every customer has a consistent experience with your brand that keeps them coming back.  

Nicholas Schwalbach is senior director of product management at SPS Commerce.