Let me take the mystique away from this new buzz word omni-channel.

Omni in this case is not strictly like the latin all, usually when omni is used as a prefix it represents all but not exactly in this case. One may ask does it mean using every channel but surely multi-channel covers that, so let’s start there.

What is multi-channel

Omni-channel is an evolution of multi channel. Multi-channel is the use of a variety of shopping channels pre, during and post sales. Such channels could be physical shops, online shops, mobile shops, mobile app shops, buying over the telephone and any other ingenious way one can think of, and post sales activities could be: registering for warranties online or using a web site for after sales service.

Like a lot of things multi-channel was happening long before it had a name. Any business built from a customer centric perspective served the customer via more than one channel – think telephone, door to door, mail order try before you buy or least try before totally commit to buying, buy on approval. Back in my Grandmother’s time, every season, the local haberdashery would bring, or send her, a selection of outfits to try on in the the comfort of her own home, before a penny ever changed hands.

What is not omni-channel

Fast forward to today, with online shopping have you ever noticed how for some vendors their desktop sites, mobile app and tablet sites can have no relation to each other, especially sites where you can’t actually transact by mobile, they tell you that you need to go to desktop site or call them on the phone? This is definitely not omni-channel.

What is omni-channel specifically

Whereas for other multi channel vendors desktop, tablet sites and apps can look and feel identical? This my friends is basic omni-channel or the start of it and it’s the way of the future. There will be a seamless approach to the consumer experience through ALL available channels not just online. So in a way omni-channel does mean all but it really means the same experience in all channels.

Retailers are, or will be, meeting the new customer demands by deploying specialized (supply-chain strategy) software. In the “brick-and-mortar channel”, digitally-savvy consumers will enter shops already well-informed about a product’s features and prices and expect retail employees to know more than they do, currently we are not there yet though in my experience.

So in this age of the “internet of things” and the “connected consumer” and “telematics” all shopping channels will have to work from the same database of products, prices, promotions. So there’ll be no difference between online and in person. Not so good for those who like to haggle or get a discount for cash or like a deal over the phone (am thinking accommodation with the latter).

With omni-channel consumers will experience the brand, not a channel within a brand. With omni-channel retailing, marketing is made more efficient with offers that are relevant to a specific consumer determined by: purchase patterns, social network affinities, website visits, loyalty programs, and other data mining techniques.

And the good part is, with real time data, what socially connected consumers bookmarked, during their research phase, will be available as they move from one channel to another, thus allowing them to return through a different retail channel to finish the purchase or browsing process from where they last left off.

Summary

I have just been at two conferences that were addressing this topic among other things and the message is omni-channel will be consistent | continuous | convenient.