James Tenser

Compete Blog: Cross Channel Shopping Is a Must

July 27, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Consumers increasingly do not differentiate between store inventory and online inventory, meaning that retailers need to stop thinking about them as two separate entities. What are the best ways for retailers to convert online browsers into in-store shoppers?      [more...]

Max is sooo right. Multichannel convergence is a concept with a decade of discussion history. The "discoveries" in this survey are hardly news, although it's interesting to note that shoppers seem somewhat more conscious of the motivations that influence their channel-choice calculus.

Shoppers, frankly my dear, don't give a d*** about our cross-channel inventory management challenges. They just want what they want, when and where and how they want it. Their reasons come down to risk avoidance, time-saving convenience, and value.