Solutions for managing omnichannel retail

The line between in-store and online shopping experiences is becoming increasingly blurred, with 67% of consumers today expecting options to make purchases online and retrieve them from a physical store. Simple Google searches for products like 'red oven mitts', or 'chicken tortilla soup' turn up many ordering possibilities, including curbside pickup options at retailers nearby. While a consumer can expect to find these options in-stores, major retailers like Walmart and Kroger have seen continuous double-digit online sales growth due to their investments in blending these digital and physical shopping experiences.

Retailers are now calling for their supplier partners not only to ensure product availability across these digital channels, but optimize them, to continue driving sales success for the brand and category alike. For suppliers, answering this call can also ensure a strong partnership to fend off shelf-space competitors. But that’s not all, omnichannel optimization lends itself to multiple wins for the supplier (recall that your Google merchant placements can be shown across multiple retailers), who will benefit from increased brand exposure, revenue diversification, and an increase in first-party data.

To reap the rich benefits of omnichannel optimization, whether a D2C darling or a legacy household CPG staple, an all-inclusive data strategy that marries retail intelligence into a clean, actionable repository for daily visibility and decision-making is paramount. Here's our guide to get started.

Retailers are now calling for their supplier partners not only to ensure product availability across these digital channels, but optimize them, to continue driving sales success for the brand and category alike.

What is an omnichannel retail solution?

An omnichannel retail solution consolidates data intelligence across in-store, online, and direct-to-consumer (D2C, or DTC) channels into a system of record, and activates it for cross-departmental decision-making. Suppliers can build the foundation for an optimized omnichannel shopping experience by automating the ingestion of real-time inventory, sales, and shopper behavior data into the cloud. A flow of clean, streamlined intelligence across digital and physical points of distribution (PODs) increases visibility and responsivity for everything from keeping on top of out-of-stocks, strategic promotion planning to keep sales pumping, pinpointing demand planning, product assortment planning, and much more. 

An omnichannel retail solution ensures a seamless experience for the modern shopper, where they can browse products of interest anytime with a simple search, place online, pick-up, or delivery orders online – via Google, Walmart.com, Kroger.com, Instacart, and more – and/or engage with a brand further, by checking out recommended product placements, social media, or giving products a closer eye in the aisle.

An effective omnichannel data strategy not only helps suppliers sustain these consumer experiences but also diversifies their revenue streams while serving to strengthen relationships with key retail partners.

A flow of clean, streamlined intelligence across digital and physical points of distribution (PODs) increases visibility and responsivity for everything from keeping on top of out-of-stocks, strategic promotion planning to keep sales pumping, pinpointing demand planning, product assortment planning, and much more.

Omnichannel vs multichannel vs single-channel shopping

As consumer behavior evolves and retailer expectations tighten, it’s important for suppliers to understand the distinctions between single-channel, multichannel, and omnichannel shopping, to enable a holistic understanding of touchpoints, and the data made available by each. Approaches for each channel shape the shopper experience, and can impact inventory and sales strategies.

1. Single-channel shopping: This is the most basic model, where the entire customer journey happens through one channel – whether in-store or online.
   • Example: A customer visits a physical store to browse and make a purchase without interacting with any other channels.
   • Supplier impact: Point-of-sale data (POS) record, no cross-channel behavior insights, contributes to a singular revenue stream.

2. Multichannel shopping: Multichannel shopping offers more options, but the experiences across channels remain siloed.
   • Example: A customer researches products online but completes the purchase in-store
   • Supplier impact: Online engagement with an ad campaign is recorded; the attributed sale occurs separately, in-stores. The records cannot be directly correlated, but solutions can bridge the gap.
     
     
3. Omnichannel shopping: Omnichannel shopping takes integration to the next level, offering a seamless and connected experience across all channels.
   • Example: A customer adds items to their cart online, confirms inventory availability at a local store, and picks up their purchase curbside — all while receiving personalized recommendations via email or social media based on their browsing history.
   • Supplier impact: Shopper preferences, purchase behaviors, and sales trends can be tracked and analyzed in real-time, helping suppliers make informed decisions to improve inventory management, marketing strategies, and retailer relationships.

The omnichannel retail shopping experience

Omnichannel solutions transform the shopping journey into a seamless experience, allowing customers to move effortlessly between online and offline touchpoints. Shoppers can browse products online, check real-time inventory at their local store, and complete a purchase through curbside pickup or in-store collection. This integration extends to personalized touches, such as targeted ads, exclusive discounts, and in-store recommendations tailored to their preferences. Returns are also simplified through BORIS (buy online, return in-store), reducing friction and improving customer satisfaction.

For suppliers, enabling these experiences requires accurate and consistent product data across all channels. Maintaining real-time inventory visibility ensures that customers can trust the availability of products regardless of how they shop. 

The manufacturer’s role in omnichannel optimization

Suppliers play a pivotal role in delivering a seamless omnichannel experience by ensuring products are consistently available across all channels. Real-time inventory visibility is critical for meeting demand, minimizing out-of-stocks (OOS), and addressing nil-picks, where items ordered for pickup or delivery are unavailable during fulfillment. Suppliers can further enhance product visibility by refining their digital listings with accurate descriptions and strategically optimizing placement in retailer searches, helping capture shopper attention in competitive marketplaces.

First-party data – the information suppliers collect directly through their own operations, such as D2C channels or Amazon Seller sales – becomes an invaluable resource for omnichannel success. While suppliers should maximize retailer-provided data to align with their inventory needs and performance benchmarks, first-party data offers deeper insights into customer behavior and preferences, which can inform campaigns and other strategies.

The pillars of an all-inclusive omnichannel data strategy

A successful omnichannel strategy starts with an all-inclusive approach to data management. Manufacturers can consolidate data from various sources – point-of-sale (POS) systems, e-commerce platforms, distributor networks, and D2C channels – into a single, centralized system. This unified repository serves as a single source of truth, enabling teams to generate actionable insights, identify trends, and make informed decisions.

Real-time visibility is another critical component. Up-to-date sales and inventory data help suppliers prevent out-of-stocks, manage nil-picks, and maintain accurate inventory allocation across channels. For example, companies like Sunday use integrated data to anticipate seasonal demand and optimize stock levels across digital and in-store channels. With real-time insights, suppliers can align closely with retailer requirements, delivering a seamless customer experience.

Data-driven decision-making ensures that suppliers can refine pricing, improve promotional strategies, and better forecast demand. Ritual Vitamins, for instance, leverages omnichannel data to harmonize sales trends across Amazon, D2C, and big-box retail, reducing inefficiencies and improving supply chain alignment. 

Collaboration with retailers is the final pillar, as shared insights enhance category performance, drive mutual growth, and foster stronger partnerships. PopSockets exemplifies this by using integrated data solutions to refine retailer-specific strategies and improve placement in key channels.

Manufacturers can consolidate data from various sources – point-of-sale (POS) systems, e-commerce platforms, distributor networks, and D2C channels – into a single, centralized system, serving as a single source of truth, enabling teams to generate actionable insights, identify trends, and make informed decisions.

AI strategies for omnichannel management

AI is playing an increasingly critical role in omnichannel retail, allowing suppliers to manage inventory, optimize pricing, and personalize customer interactions with greater precision. Leveraging AI strategies can help businesses move from reactive adjustments to proactive, data-driven decision-making, creating a seamless experience across digital and in-store shopping environments.

AI-powered demand forecasting enables suppliers to anticipate consumer demand fluctuations by analyzing real-time sales data, seasonality, and regional trends, minimizing costly stock imbalances. 

Machine learning models leveraging first-party shopper data can help refine omnichannel promotions by personalizing discounts and recommendations based on shopper behavior, boosting engagement across touchpoints. 

AI-driven content optimization can enhance product discoverability by dynamically optimizing listings for retailer search algorithms. AI refines as well as streamlines consistent product descriptions, attributes, and categorization to ensure higher placement in retailer search results, making it easier for shoppers to find and purchase products.

AI-driven logistics tools can assist in optimizing fulfillment strategies by analyzing shipping routes, fulfillment center availability, and real-time order volume, ensuring efficient distribution of goods, whether customers are shopping online or in-store.

Getting started: a practical guide for suppliers

Implementing an omnichannel strategy may seem complex, but breaking it down into manageable steps can simplify the process and set you up for sustained success.

1. Audit your current data sources
   
   Evaluate where and how you currently manage retail data. Are you relying on manual processes to pull data from retailer portals, e-commerce platforms, and D2C systems? Are spreadsheets and disparate files your primary method of tracking inventory, sales, and performance? These methods can lead to data silos, delayed insights, and challenges in aligning across channels. Identify gaps in your data integration and visibility. Consider how your data can be joined into a cloud or BI platform and support analytics and real-time decision-making.
   
   
2. Invest in the right tools
   
   After identifying gaps in your data integration and visibility, the next step is investing in tools that can close those gaps and support scalable, efficient operations. Tools that reliably automate data ingestion can eliminate these challenges relating to data silos, errors, and outdated information, ensuring clean, reliable data is always accessible.
   
   Solutions like Crisp provide seamless integrations with cloud and BI platforms, enabling real-time updates and cross-channel visibility in the tools companies use today. Crisp’s platform adapts to retailer portal changes, ensuring consistent data flows without disruptions.
   
   By adopting scalable tools, suppliers can shift their focus from troubleshooting data issues to driving growth and building competitive advantage.
   
   
3. Wow your retail partners
   
   Work closely with your retail partners to align goals, optimize category performance, and strengthen relationships. Use retailer-provided publication insights, such as Walmart’s digital transaction data, to refine your product visibility and tailor marketing efforts. Transparent collaboration ensures that both suppliers and retailers maximize their ROI from omnichannel initiatives.
   
   
4. Iterate and optimize
   
   Omnichannel strategies require ongoing refinement. Regularly review performance metrics and adapt based on new data insights. Monitor trends in inventory movement, customer behavior, and promotional success to ensure your strategies remain effective. 

Solutions like Crisp provide seamless integrations with cloud and BI platforms, enabling real-time updates and cross-channel visibility in the tools companies use today. Crisp’s platform adapts to retailer portal changes, ensuring consistent data flows without disruptions.

Ready to take your omnichannel strategy from vision to reality? Contact Crisp to discuss your data infrastructure needs today.