Multichannel Is Still A Myth For Retailers

Retailers have been striving to provide seamless multichannel shopping experiences in order both to stay ahead of the market in an increasingly interconnected world and to align themselves with consumer multichannel behavior. In a recent report, Forrester used its Cross-Channel Review methodology to provide insight into the current state of consumers' cross-channel experiences across four industries. This was accomplished through an evaluation of the Web site, interactive voice response (IVR), phone, and email experiences as well as the transitions across those channels. The four discount retailers fell below the other industries evaluated with an average score of -9.8, compared with a total average score of -2.3. In order to improve on their firms' cross-channel design, retail eBusiness professionals are encouraged to use these particular examples from the industry together with examples of consumer multichannel shopping preferences.