Unified Commerce vs. Omnichannel: what are the differences and what are the challenges for the future of retail?
September 16, 2024
In a world where consumer expectations are rapidly evolving, we all know that we need to turn to sales strategies that are better adapted to the market's new and growing expectations. Not only are customers looking for quality products, they also want a personalized, fluid and efficient shopping experience, despite the multiplication of sales channels. This has given rise to the concepts of omnichannel commerce and unified commerce, which have become pillars of modern retail strategies.
The main objective for these companies is to align their strategy, partners, flows, tools and approaches to ensure that each sales channel works in harmony with the others. This alignment not only improves the conversion rate, but also collects more valuable data to further refine and personalize the offer made to customers. But why are we talking about these two concepts today? What are their differences and convergences? And how well do we all know the key steps to a successful omnichannel or unified strategy?
Before exploring the notions of omnichannel and unified commerce, it's essential to understand their point of origin: multichannel commerce. Multichannel commerce means selling to your customers via different channels, both online and offline. For example, a company may interact with its customers on social networks, by telephone, in a physical store or via a website.
Multichannel commerce therefore often lacks an overall strategy to link all these channels in a coherent way. And today, despite what they may say, every brand is multi-channel: selling products or services by appointment, creating a mobile application, communicating on social networks, working with influencers to create user-generated content.
But the downside of this strategy is that each channel operates independently of the others, often with different teams to manage them, which can create inconsistencies in the customer experience and complicate operations management.
Omnichannel commerce was introduced to respond more effectively to consumers' use of different purchasing channels. Although the concept seems recent, it has been around for more than a decade. Omnichannel commerce aims to offer a seamless, fluid customer experience across all sales channels. Whether the customer shops online from a mobile device, laptop or in-store, and finishes it on another channel, the aim is to create continuity in the shopping experience.
According to the Harvard Business Review, 73% of customers use multiple channels during their purchasing journey. What's more, according to the State of Business 2021 report, almost half (44%) of B2C buyers and 58% of B2B buyers always or often look for a product online before visiting a store. Even when they are in a store, they continue their online research. These trends are even more pronounced among younger generations, notably Generation Z, who use multiple channels to make their purchases.
If you want to encourage your customers to follow an omnichannel path, Booxi and appointment booking are the solutions. This allows customers to start their journey online, and end it in-store, with potentially a complementary purchase following a service performed in-store.
If you want to go further, you can. Unified commerce represents an advanced version of omnichannel. It goes beyond the simple use of multiple channels by integrating all a company's sales and communication platforms onto a single, unified platform. This provides a consistent, centralized overview, not only of the customer experience, but also of inventory, orders and data.
By unifying all channels, unified commerce ensures instant synchronization of information, delivering a totally seamless and fluid customer experience. This approach also enables companies to better manage internal operations, reduce friction and improve customer satisfaction.
Although omnichannel commerce and unified commerce share similar objectives, they differ in their execution. Omnichannel commerce relies on multiple channels operating relatively independently, with partial synchronization of information. For example, a customer may search for a product on a website, check in-store availability via an app, make an appointment to buy the product in-store, and return it via online customer service.
Unified commerce, on the other hand, integrates all channels on a single platform, offering a totally consistent and synchronized experience. For example, a customer can start an order on the website, modify it via a mobile app, complete the purchase in-store, and all information will be instantly updated across all channels. This total integration reduces friction and improves the overall customer experience.
Despite their differences, omnichannel commerce and unified commerce share an essential point in common: personalization. Today's consumers don't just want quality products; they also want a shopping experience tailored to their specific needs. They want to be able to search for products easily, compare prices and receive personalized recommendations.
According to McKinsey data, 71% of consumers expect companies to offer personalized interactions, and 76% feel frustrated when they don't get them. Personalization is therefore a key element in meeting customer expectations and improving customer satisfaction.
⇒ Omnichannel Commerce: La Maison Convertible
The implementation of Booxi on the La Maison Convertible and Le Lit.fr websites perfectly illustrates the concept of omnichannel commerce. Thanks to Booxi, customers can easily book a personalized appointment with an advisor online, while enjoying a harmonious experience between the digital and the physical. After exploring the products online, they can book an in-store appointment via an integrated widget, where an expert awaits them for a tailor-made consultation. This seamless integration between online and in-store channels strengthens the coherence of the customer experience and optimizes sales conversion for a seamless journey.
⇒ Unified Commerce : Botanic
On the other hand, Botanic's integration of Booxi with Planet is an example of the implementation of unified commerce. More than a simple transition between channels, the deployment has enabled a truly connected customer experience, where every interaction, whether online or in-store, is synchronized with the brand's other tools. Customers can thus enjoy continuity of service, with a history of their interactions accessible across all touchpoints. While omnichannel focuses on the fluidity between channels, unified commerce goes a step further by integrating every aspect of the customer experience within a coherent, interconnected system.
In short, omnichannel commerce and unified commerce are two distinct but complementary approaches that enable companies to meet the ever-increasing expectations of modern consumers. While omnichannel commerce enhances engagement by multiplying contact points, unified commerce goes a step further by integrating all these channels on a single platform to deliver a truly consistent and personalized customer experience.
Companies that succeed in combining these two approaches will be better placed to capture consumer attention, increase conversion rates and improve loyalty. In an increasingly competitive retail environment, it's essential to choose the strategy that best meets the specific needs of your business and your customers.
