E-Commerce's Role In Omni-Channel Success

By Erin Harris, Editor-In-Chief, Cell & Gene
Follow Me On Twitter @ErinHarris_1

October 2014 Integrated Solutions For Retailers

An integral part of omni-channel success, e-commerce must undergo efficiency gains in fulfillment and synchronization with brick-and-mortar to improve the overall customer experience and move the sales needle.

According to Forrester, online retail sales in the U.S. are expected to reach $294 billion this year, or approximately 9 percent of all sales in the U.S. By 2018, Forrester expects online sales to account for 11 percent of total U.S. retail sales. The proliferation of online shopping has been alive and well for years, but now more than ever, customers value a seamless shopping experience — both online and off. However, the online shopping experience doesn’t end when the customer clicks the “buy now” button. It ends when the customer receives the right order on time or sooner than expected. Streamlining the customer’s digital path-to-purchase and delivering a smooth experience are akin to watching Olympic athletes in action — they make it look so easy when it is anything but. Indeed, a seamless e-commerce experience is heavily dependent on the brick-and-mortar store, technology, and next-level customer service.