The possibility of shopping on the Internet is receiving a great deal of interest from customers all over the world. As a result, retail chains are responding to the needs of shoppers by offering a multitude of convenience options. Omnichannel (which still sounds mysterious in Poland) is becoming increasingly popular. What is omnichannel?
The word omnichannel was coined from a combination of two words: the Latin 'omnis', meaning everything, and the English 'channel', meaning channel. Freely translated, it means omnichannel. Translating its meaning into practice, omnichannel is a sales strategy that involves integrating all forms (channels) of customer service to enable the customer to shop as conveniently as possible within a given retail chain.
Multi-channel integrated commerce influences the quality of the services offered. It allows the customer to shop conveniently, anytime and anywhere. So what facilities can a business offer that are part of an omnichannel strategy? 
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Combining online and offline shopping
One of the most common things that retail chains do is to blur the line between online and offline sales. If a company has a chain of stationary shops, it becomes an excellent solution to create an online shop where shoppers can purchase the same range of products as in a traditional shop.
An additional convenience will also be the possibility to collect goods ordered online from a stationary outlet. Such a form is not only convenient (it makes it possible to collect the order at a convenient time and place, without the fear that the delivery attempt will take place while the addressee is absent), but it is also usually associated with lower - if not zero - delivery costs. This becomes attractive, especially when the cost of delivery turns out to be greater than the value of the order.
The ability to check the availability of a desired item in a stationary shop is also part of the omnichannel strategy. In this way, the customer can see whether a visit to the outlet will not just be a waste of time. However, this solution is less interesting because the information shown by the system on product availability is only approximate and often does not keep up with the rapidly changing reality.
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Convenient returns and complaints
Another level on which multichannel selling is based is returns and complaints. . The ability to do both without having to leave home is very attractive to many customers. Thanks to the integration of sales channels, the buyer gains the possibility to return or complain about the goods by filling in a form on the website and ordering the courier to your door. Returned items can come from either the online shop or its traditional counterpart.
Equally attractive is the option to do the opposite, i.e. to return or advertise goods ordered online in a stationary shop. With this option, you can return the purchased items at a convenient time and place. For many customers, the assistance that shop staff can provide in this process is important. Convenient returns and complaints are a priority. Often, it is the hassle-free nature of this service that makes the difference if the customer is not quite sure whether he or she wants to purchase the item.
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Running loyalty programmes
Standardised loyalty programmes provide an incentive to shop. Integrating the points a customer earns when shopping online with those they receive when shopping in a stationary shop allows them to more quickly obtain the number of points after which a discount or other benefit will be allocated. Such an intervention builds the shopper's loyalty to that one particular brand, and for the retail chain it is an excellent way to obtain data on the customer's taste - by looking at their purchase history, the chain can send personalised suggestions (e.g. by email) to a particular customer to encourage further purchases.
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Weaknesses of omnichannel strategies
While it might seem that such a solution consists of advantages alone, there are some aspects that cast a shadow over the functioning of multichannel integrated commerce. First and foremost are the differences in assortment. Often, goods that are in an online shop are not available in a stationary shop or vice versa (it all depends on the type of retailer). Very often, there are also differences in the prices of goods - what is available in an online shop can be cheaper than the same goods found in a traditional shop (or vice versa). A similar problem may arise with various types of discounts, promotions or sales events.
Omnichannel is a fairly recent phenomenon in Poland. Its dissemination is prevented primarily by an underdeveloped IT background. In order to use omnichannel sales, it is necessary to have a system at a very advanced level, which unfortunately often exceeds the capabilities of small enterprises. Most of them also do not feel the need to invest in a stationary counterpart for their e-shop, successfully using only the potential of the Internet for their business.
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