News Feature | July 18, 2013

Office Depot Begins Omni-Channel Offerings

Source: Retail Solutions Online
Sam Lewis

By Sam Lewis

Beginning July 28, Office Depot will initiate its plan to support an “omni-channel, customer-focused experience.” Associates in every store will be given a handheld device which provides instant access to extended product information, availability, customer reviews, and on-the-spot check out. This is the first step in a series of improvements Office Depot will be making in the coming months.

The launch of these improvements ties directly into the back-to-school push, and will allow associates to help find items on school shopping lists, and to order out-of-stock items from officedepot.com (with free shipping) via their mobile devices.

Another new program Office Depot is offering comes to the aid of businesses, consumers, teachers, and students who need supplies the same day. "Buy Online, Ready in One-Hour" allows items purchased from officedepot.com to be picked up at any Office Depot location for free in just one hour. Shoppers using this program can also designate a friend or family member to pick-up the order at the store of their choice and customers can choose to have a portion of the order delivered to their home in the same online transaction.

 Furthering this initiative, in the coming months Office Depot will be rolling out in-store touch-screen kiosks, and workstations, which allow customers to research the full assortment of items available at Office Depot and order for delivery. Customers can also download the Office Depot App to scan any barcode in-store to read reviews and additional product details, or use the company’s free Wi-Fi service in-store.

"Technology is constantly changing the way people shop," said Christine Buscarino, vice president of customer experience for Office Depot. "By offering these new tools for our customers, we are bringing Office Depot's website capabilities into our retail environment and giving customers and associates access to product information right at their fingertips."

The full press release can be found at: Office Depot.