Future of Ecommerce Webinar

Quick Answer

This webinar lays out ecommerce trends 2023 and how stores and online channels will work together. It shows practical steps to modernize systems and teams.

Key themes include multichannel vs online and in-store strategy, mobile-first design, faster delivery, and the role of social proof.

At a glance

• Move from multichannel to connected journeys.
• Unify data, processes, and team goals.
• Make mobile the main buying path.
• Speed up fulfillment and last-mile choices.
• Use curation and trusted voices to boost conversion.

Multichannel and online and in-store

Multichannel means selling on many separate paths like your web store, marketplaces, social shops, and stores. Teams often run these paths in parallel.

Online and in-store binds channels into one smooth journey. A shopper can start online, get help on social, and buy in store soon after.

Brand look, price, service, and return rules must match across every path. That keeps trust and clear positioning.

How can these connected experiences reshape your customer interactions and loyalty? Answering it helps set priorities for tech and team work.

How to make customer context travel

To make online and in-store work, data must move with the shopper. That means unified order systems and inventory that shows in real time.

When a customer moves from mobile to store, their saved items and notes should follow. The experience must feel continuous, not split.

Customer experience optimization relies on unified order and inventory data.

Online and physical retail together

Online shops do not replace stores. Both feed each other. Stores give a hands-on brand feel that a site alone cannot match.

An effective omnichannel retail strategy ensures a seamless transition for customers from digital interactions to in-store experiences.

In-store tech like beacons and good WiFi can show videos, reviews, or style guides on a phone. This links the web to the aisle smoothly.

Some online-first brands now open stores to show craft, tell stories, and build deeper bonds with shoppers.

This shows the value of an online and in-store retail strategy.

Tech hurdles and old systems

Many retailers run on old systems. Those systems sit deep in daily work and can block change. Upgrades can be complex and costly.

A phased modern plan reduces risk. Start by mapping how systems talk to each other. Find duplicate data and fix key fields first.

Treat upgrades as part of digital transformation in retail, not just IT work.

• Do phased upgrades to limit disruption.
• Map all integrations to spot bottlenecks.
• Clean duplicate data and standardize fields.
• Prioritize order, inventory, and CRM systems.
• Set shared KPIs and team SLAs.

Culture also matters. Online and store teams often drift apart in big shops. Shared KPIs and cross-team workflows bring focus back to the customer.

Mobile-first buying and stores

Mobile now drives a large share of traffic and sales. A fast, simple mobile site or app is critical for conversion.

Mobile helps in-store visits too. Live stock checks, review lookups, and fast mobile checkout cut friction and boost buys.

Design for visual clarity, fast loads, short forms, and wallet payments. These basics support a smooth online and in-store journey.

Mobile commerce growth makes speed and clarity essential for conversion.

What challenges do you foresee in making mobile the primary buying path for your customers? Knowing these issues helps prioritize fixes and testing across touchpoints.

Faster fulfillment and same-day options

Urban shoppers expect fast delivery. Showroom visits can lead to an in-office drop in an hour in busy areas.

Retailers must tie together order routing, store fulfillment, and last-mile choices. That makes quick delivery feel normal.

Explore last-mile delivery solutions to meet urban speed demands.

Which fulfillment strategies could you implement to improve customer satisfaction? Start small with options that link stores to fast local delivery trials.

Curation and trusted voices

Curation helps shoppers cut choice stress. Group items by style, use, or theme to guide buyers.

Trusted voices carry weight. A tip from a friend, a blogger, or a creator often beats a paid ad.

Show user content, highlight context-rich reviews, and make sharing easy. Help shoppers discover and compare with confidence.

By leveraging customer insights, retailers can create a personalized shopping experience that meets individual preferences.

Combine curation with tailored shopping experience features to guide buyers.

Consistent journeys across channels

Keep price and promo rules stable across paths. Make sure inventory and delivery promises are accurate everywhere.

Unify return rules, gift card handling, and support messages. Whether by chat, email, phone, or in-store staff, tone and facts must match.

The more teams and systems share data, the more natural the online and in-store flow will feel.

In what ways does a cohesive experience contribute to customer loyalty? Use those links to measure loyalty and repeat purchase rates.

Practical steps to modernize

Map current flows

List each system and its data touchpoints. Find where data breaks or repeats.

Practical step: Create an integration map for your tech stack.

Clean and standardize data

Fix duplicate records and standardize key fields like SKUs and customer IDs. Clean data speeds every process.

Practical step: Run a small master-data cleanup project first.

Prioritize systems

Start with systems that unlock fast wins: order routing, inventory, and CRM. These lift accuracy and speed early.

Practical step: Choose one system to modernize in phase one.

Align teams and KPIs

Set shared goals like customer satisfaction and lifetime value. Use cross-team SLAs to keep work tight.

Practical step: Run a pilot with a cross-functional team for one customer journey.

Bringing expert views into practice

Speakers emphasized small, repeatable wins. Big overhauls often stall. A steady path gains trust and momentum.

They also urged linking tech change to clear business goals. Show a measurable uplift from any change you make.

Speakers Grainne Shaughnessy (Brightpearl) and Tom Bond (TheGenieLab) framed these points in practical terms. Grainne focused on mobile-first fixes like speed and simple checkout to boost conversion. Tom urged phased modern plans with shared KPIs to align teams and systems.

Grainne brings practical mobile strategy experience and stresses studying shopper behavior to guide design. Tom brings multichannel operations experience and favors phased rollouts that let teams test and learn.

Both recommend small pilots that prove value before broader rollout.

Hypothetical shopper journeys

For example, imagine Sarah saves a pair of running shoes online. She visits the store, and staff access her saved items for quick help.

Imagine John finds a jacket via social media and saves it online. Later he visits a nearby store and completes the purchase with staff help.

Picture Lisa researching coffee makers online, then visiting a showroom to test one. An associate shows reviews and stock, and she buys instantly to avoid delay.

Think of Mark using a store app that tracks viewed items and offers. On entry, the app alerts him to discounts and tailored staff suggestions.

Key takeaways and next steps

Connect multichannel paths into smooth journeys. Make mobile central and speed fulfillment. Use curation and social proof to guide shoppers.

Modernize systems in phases, align teams, and track shared KPIs. These steps make lasting gains more likely.

Which ecommerce opportunity will you act on next for your business? Tell us which trend you plan to prioritize this year and why.

Contact TheGenieLab to plan a phased approach and prioritize quick wins.

FAQ

What is online and in-store?

It means channels work as one smooth path for the shopper. Data and context move with the buyer.

How fast should I modernize systems?

Use a phased plan. Start with high-impact systems and prove gains before scaling.

Which mobile fixes matter most?

Speed, clear visuals, short forms, and wallet payment support drive the biggest gains.

How do I use social proof well?

Show real user content, highlight reviews, and group items by style to help shoppers decide.