More and more customers are shopping in more places than ever. There is one and only way to catch all of them and that’s by implementing a multichannel retailing. Multichannel retailing only means one thing – giving customers a number of ways to shop for goods and services. It makes them possible to buy everything they want while sitting on a couch, relaxing on the beach or simply searching other stores for a lower price. Sounds good, isn’t it? But, running a multichannel business can be a challenge.

The Challenges

The challenges you will be facing when you put multichannel retailing into practice involves a lot of different factors. One reason is that retailers will find it difficult to have a single and consistent data source due to the multi-store operation. There are chances for retail channels as well to use autonomous systems that do not match with other channels. This will make selling process down resulting in a poor customer experience. On the other hand, the major concern for many e-commerce businesses includes inventory and, stock and order management. Others also experience issues with product listing, billing and also shipping. Major Challenges: Inventory/Stock Management Listings Customer Experience Shipping

Overcoming Struggles

Multichannel retailing can take your business to the next level and can help you earn profits a lot faster. But a number of obstacles may also come along the way. Don’t ever let them block your opportunities to reach more customers because when challenges become a thing of the past, you gain success.

•    Inventory/Stock Management

If overstocking or overselling deeply pissed you off, make sure to store enough just for the given month the next time you get into your warehouse. For manual management, stop relying on offline spreadsheets. Start tracking and managing your store by using effective online tools instead.

•    Product Listing

Product listing is not easy. It becomes even harder when you sell products in various sales channels as you need to set up your products one by one. When there is a lack of consistency, you get your entire listing ruined. You need to use product listing tools for e-commerce businesses to solve that issue.

•    Shipping and Returns

Whether you use WooCommerce POS for your business or any other e-commerce plug-in, you have to deal with shipping and return struggles. This is true when you start a multi-store procedure. Help yourself by finding the best shipping partner. It is also important to have clear return policies and reasonable pricing.

•    Customer Service and Experience

Serving all your customers across multiple store locations is a great challenge. Hire the right people who have the skills that can help you out. Make descriptive guidelines for your team to follow and always give your customers a delight every time they shop. You can use a number of tools that can automate your transactions such as WooPOS.

Multichannel Retailing in Today’s Age