With the continued popularity of D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) e-Commerce, the functionalities of various e-Commerce store platforms are proliferating, catering to the diverse needs of retail brands. Now that consumers have matured in their behavior across both online and offline channels, it has become essential for brands to operate both physical stores and e-Commerce. Consequently, OMO strategy has emerged as a dominant trend in the retail industry. Given these environmental changes, relying solely on e-Commerce platforms may no longer be the optimal choice. However, with seemingly countless ways to implement OMO, how should one evaluate the options? Are there solutions to the management challenges that arise from operating both online and offline channels simultaneously?
Retail brands face 1+1>2 challenges in online-offline integration when implementing OMO strategies
In simple terms, if you only want to run a small-scale business through e-Commerce, the current e-Commerce platform features are already mature and stable enough. As long as you ensure good cybersecurity protection, there shouldn’t be any serious mistakes in your choice. However, if a brand wants to develop its business simultaneously in brick-and-mortar stores and e-Commerce, regardless of which channel is currently the main focus, you’ll need a retail solution that can satisfy consumers’ OMO shopping experience and help you overcome obstacles to business growth.
E-Commerce platform + POS is not true OMO!
In the past, many retail brands primarily focused on physical channels began establishing D2C e-Commerce platforms. Initially, these brands operated their online and offline channels separately, with e-commerce mainly serving as an additional sales channel, offering the convenience of round-the-clock purchasing. However, as consumer shopping behaviors evolved, the way customers choose between online and offline channels has fundamentally changed.
Retail brands face challenges beyond managing multiple shopping channels and increased competition; they must also understand why customers discontinue purchases. Consumers no longer simply choose a channel; they select the complete brand transaction experience. When consumers encounter obstacles while moving between channels, they can choose not to purchase and switch to competitors.
As a pioneer in retail OMO development, 91APP was the first in Taiwan to offer a retail solution that linked brand apps with store staffs. Through the app, consumers can establish connections with brick-and-mortar stores, enabling staff to provide cross-channel services using digital tools and to be rewarded from both online and offline sales. This innovative approach has not only been favored by brands but has also inspired many e-Commerce platform providers to follow suit. However, why does 91APP, the initial leader, now believe that this is not enough?
Although integrating physical stores and providing cross-channel services to consumers is an indispensable part of the OMO experience, it does not guarantee success. Brands need to invest in marketing resources and organizational training to influence customers through external stimulation. Without sustained effort, having OMO tools alone will not yield actual benefits; at most, these tools will only assist in the digitalization of brick-and-mortar stores.
Surpass Driving Traffic Between Online and Offline Channels! True OMO Captures Consumers and Fully Controls Brand Revenue
Unlike e-Commerce platforms or social media that focus solely on driving traffic between online and offline channels, OMO implemented through retail solutions must satisfy the three essential elements of retail: “people, place, and product.” This is because consumers’ cross-channel behavior not only requires guidance from store staff but also expects a reduction in various channel limitations and inconveniences throughout the shopping process.
Therefore, the real challenge of retail brand OMO is to stimulate external momentum through advertising and store digitalization, while also creating internal momentum driven by consumers themselves. Only by addressing both aspects can brands achieve high loyalty and recognition, reducing the likelihood of customers switching to competitors.
OMO requires both recommended recalls and autonomous mobility
The internal driving force of consumer self-circulation includes the ability to balance inventory between online and offline channels, offering cross-channel ordering and pickup options, the convenience of completing payment, membership points, and invoicing all at once, as well as leveraging the influence of store staff across all channels.
91APP, which originated as an e-Commerce system, defines itself as a retail solution for the OMO era. Its main distinction from e-commerce platform providers lies in its ability to address the obstacles and issues affecting consumers’ OMO experience when brands operate both online and offline channels. In contrast, store platforms primarily offer tools focused on e-commerce with lightweight support for physical stores.
The goal of retail solutions is to help brands simultaneously achieve external momentum to guide customers and internal momentum to drive customer autonomy. In other words, if a brand’s online and offline channels are to continue growing and transforming, it should utilize retail solutions capable of handling complex issues.
Since problems can be solved and overcome, there must be methods. 91APP views retail solutions as necessarily encompassing the following areas.
True OMO is the Only Solution for Retail Efficiency
Retail solutions and e-Commerce platforms address different levels of issues
Heterogeneous System Integration Capability
E-Commerce systems should integrate with other brand systems, including ERP, POS, membership, points, and payment, to ensure data consistency and avoid repetition and misjudgment.
Some newly established or smaller brands might think that directly choosing a platform that has already integrated essential lightweight POS and e-Commerce functions is more efficient. However, brands must consider whether their growth over the next few years will be hindered by the platform’s insufficient capabilities, resulting in a complete overhaul.
Scalability
The importance of heterogeneous system integration lies in ensuring future scalability. The consumer market changes rapidly, and many emerging tech companies, recognizing these trends, will accelerate the development of new features to meet the needs of brand management.
Without integration, new technologies cannot be efficiently utilized. Through API connections, brands can effortlessly choose the most suitable tools to achieve the purpose of adding functionalities. Successful scalability is built on a suitable and rapid foundation, and should not be compromised or stagnant.
Retention and Customer Acquisition
Sales growth comes from two sources: retaining members to buy more and acquiring a large base of new customers. While it sounds simple, it is not an easy task for many retail brands.
To achieve this goal, integration is carried out to gain insights into omni-channel consumer behavior; personalized marketing notifications driven by data enhance loyalty; inventory management is optimized to balance virtual and physical stock, reducing the risk of stockouts. The aim is to increase member retention and reduce losing members.
By leveraging new technology and efficient management, businesses can expand their scale, attract more new customers, and encourage customers to seamlessly move between online and offline channels, thereby fostering a deeper connection with the brand.
Choose 91APP’s Enterprise Retail Solution to Achieve True OMO
Many retail brands that previously operated only one channel have encountered challenges in managing both online and offline channels, including issues related to organization, resources, and inventory. When the problem is 1 + 1 > 2, using a simplified approach to solve it clearly cannot achieve the 1 + 1 > 2 profitability that OMO should bring.
The core idea of OMO is to allow consumers to independently choose their channels at every stage—from discovering the product, developing interest, to making a purchase—ensuring seamless mobility among them. However, in the development process of the retail industry, the importance of autonomy and seamlessness is often overlooked. The growth cycle is built on the interconnection of each decision, leveraging forces to create momentum. Only with autonomy and seamlessness can the cycle continue.
OMO is the ultimate goal of retail. Whether the focus is currently on brick-and-mortar stores or e-Commerce, brands will eventually need to consider their development strategies. If a brand only creates interactions between brick-and-mortar stores and e-Commerce without satisfying the complete consumer journey through seamless online and offline integration, it leads to the fundamental issue of “ineffective OMO.”
91APP possesses strong expertise and a vast customer base in the retail e-Commerce sector. With extensive experience, 91APP understands where opportunities and pitfalls lie. As a retail solution, 91APP addresses core issues, helping brands achieve exponential and sustained growth through realizing true OMO.
91APP advises retailers that once they decide to embark on the journey of online and offline integration, they must choose the right battlefield and weapons. Opting for a lightweight entry-level system due to cost considerations can only address immediate entry-level issues. However, to prevent and resolve management efficiency problems that may arise from the continuous development of online and offline integration in the future, and to achieve goals such as performance growth and organizational transformation, the diverse practical experience offered by retail solutions can help brands stay ahead and consider more comprehensive strategies.
