Saks Enterprise Transformation Focuses On Omni-Channel

By Bob Johns

Oracle CrossTalk 2013 kicked off with a bang with Michael Rodgers, EVP, CIO, COO of Saks Fifth Avenue, giving a presentation on enterprise transformation. Saks has undertaken a complete transformation of the business to become a true omni-channel retailer. According to Rodgers, "Saks is creating a single view of our entire business. We now have a single view of the customer across all channels." What the company found is that the customer wants to interact with the brand, not the channel. 

Rodgers notes that 41% of Saks' customers use smartphones in the store, whether it is to look up product info, go to Saks' site, or to comparison shop. Capitalizing on this phenomenon is one of the keys to engaging the customer. Saks engages is mobile and social marketing to interact with their customers. 60% of Saks customers are on social media every day, so it is imperative these customers have a good experience, no matter in what channel they interact. "A big part of what we do is clienteling," Rodgers says. "Our customer has a certain service expectation, and we have to exceed that expectation." For this reason, Saks has deployed over 2,000 iPads to managers and associates throughout the stores. This gives the associate a way to work with the customer on the floor with mobile POS in certain areas, access to inventory, and certain client data to enhance the experience.

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