Tag: inventory management

5 Top Software Vendors in Omnichannel Commerce in 2021

It’s not easy connecting all your sales channels. Making sure that brick and mortar stores, the online store, live shopping channels and others are all in sync can become complicated. Retailers need to get all departments, all sales channels, suppliers and fulfilment operations on the same page. That’s why I’ve put together a list of the top software vendors in omnichannel commerce – to help you skip the software sourcing part.

It’s not an easy task to connect an omnichannel software vendor to existing systems.  Fortunately, some companies are really good at it. Others – just good at saying they are.

And here come the knights in shiny digital armor to rescue the day. The following 5 vendors have built omnichannel retail capabilities ready to be plugged into existing retail ecosystems. They are now the go-to elite for large retailers in need of upgrading their IT infrastructure.

5. Kibo – unified commerce.

Number 5 on our top software vendors in omnichannel list is Kibo. In 2015 former Shopatron became Kibo. The company now sports an API-first, microservices based platform that enables B2B and B2C ecommerce as well as order management, inventory systems and point of sale solutions.

Kibo – unified cloud commerce – number 5 on top omnichannel software vendors

The company was founded in September 2000 by Ed Stevens and Sean Collier. Since then, it has evolved into an integrated SaaS platform that connects offline and online orders management, making it easier for customers to purchase from retailers.

The company offers specific omnichannel solutions, most important being:

  1. in-store pick-up
  2. ship from store
  3. inventory lookup
  4. vendor dropship

Shopatron targets midsize retailers and its main benefit is the advanced order routing. The platform combines online and offline sales and claims inventory visibility across channels.

Pros:

  • great fit for midsize companies
  • developer friendly and easily integrate-able due to its API-first architecture
  • headless commerce structure – enables building disconnected systems on existing software structure
  • good fit for larger retailers that look for a quick roll-out for the solutions listed above
  • can connect multiple sales channels and direct orders to the right fulfilment point
  • works for both B2B and B2C commerce
  • reduced costs and quick roll out

Cons:

  • implementations can become costly due to development costs
  • backend can seem outdated or complicated
  • analytics may not be its strong point

4. NetSuite Suite commerce

NetSuite was already rocking a great SaaS ERP product and a fully flavored ecommerce solution when it acquired OrderMotion in 2013. Now the company can provide inventory management across channels, a single customer view, business intelligence data and omnichannel order management. In the past years the product has made the company one of the top software vendors in omnichannel with its SuiteCommerce collection of products.

Suite is no. 4 on our top software vendors in omnichannel commerce list

The company, among the first to bet on SaaS platforms, was acquired by Oracle in 2016 for $9.6 billion and its multi-channel software became the go-to option for its 23 000 Oracle customers.

NetSuite started as NetLedger, envisioned as an online accounting tool, that later turned to an wider array of company management tools.

Prior to its Oracle acquisition, Netsuite was very active in acquiring companies itself. In 2013 it acquired Retail Anywhere, a POS solutions company that became its POS commerce solution. In 2014 it acquired both Venda, an ecommerce SaaS company, and eBizNet Solutions, a company focused on WMS (warehouse management system) solutions.

Netsuite has decided omnichannel is a perfect mix when it connects companies focused o separate blocks in the retail chain.

Pros:

  • Extensive know how of retail operations management
  • Integrated SaaS solutions
  • Great record of acquisitions
  • Single view of customer across channels
  • Multi-channel channel inventory view and order management
  • Extensive list of customers, a lot of them enterprise Oracle customers
  • Great uptime

Cons:

  • NetSuite is “broadly focused”: its solutions work with healthcare, finance, manufacturing and many, many others. That leaves little room for actual retail innovation
  • Expeeeensive
  • The solution is targeted at enterprise customers or midsized to large companies, a lot of them Oracle customers
  • Complicated to operate and train staff on
  • Complex pricing and licensing structure

3. New in the top software vendors for omnichannel: VTEX

VTEX was nowhere to be seen on this list 5 years ago. The company started in Brasil as an ecommerce company catering to the local market. It’s innovative technology caught the attention of Walmart as it entered the Brasil retail market. They’ve created a solid presence for the company in the country and expanded regionally in LATAM.

Companies such as Sony, Samsung, Adidas and many others has chosen VTEX as their B2C and B2B multi-channel software suppier.

From all the other companies on this list VTEX is the best in many fields, chief of which is its modern infrastructure, matched only by the likes of Shopify, which is more aimed towards ecommerce rather than multi channel sales.

Pros:

  • Great user experience
  • Headless, API-based ecommerce
  • Microservices based
  • Available globally
  • Apps marketplace and third party developers
  • Great developer support
  • Fast time to market implementations

Cons:

  • Not much customisation can be done on the core platform. It’s a multi-tennant cloud platform.
  • The platform can be sometimes slow

2. SAP Commerce

SAP commerce was once a thriving, innovative company called Hybris. Afterwards SAP purchased it and there’s almost no way to find out how you can implement the software. Just trolling. The solution is good and it used to be number one on this list. Not anymore.

This omnichannel solution is scalable and built on a modern and flexible architecture, that allows interaction with all interfaces. Its order management solution, inventory and commerce application are built to work together seamless and easily connect with other systems.

SAP commerce’s solutions work both B2B and B2C and can handle inputs from multiple inventory sources and outputs on multiple sales channels. Moreover, the solution features a central content management system that enables retailers to push content across a multitude of interfaces.

Pros

  • scalable solution
  • feature packed
  • fully integrated solutions
  • works B2B and B2C
  • modern architecture
  • supports multiple interfaces
  • works online, offline and on multiple other channels
  • flexible enough to work with open source technologies

Cons

  • training may be expensive
  • professionals able to implement and train are hard to find, due to an increase of platform demand
  • customization and setup can be time and resource consuming
  • it’s part of SAP

1. Shopify Plus

Shopify is an amazing company and its communication, style, products and company culture really stand out. It used to be the small kid on the block but now, in term of product, market reach and its huge growth in 2020 it really shines.

It makes sense that its core enterprise product can work on multiple channels. It’s incredibly stable as an ecommerce platform, migration is extremely fast, works as a point of sale solution and you can integrate all logistics on it. Plus, it comes with the experience of having more stores on its platform than any other company.

Shopify Plus takes the crown on my list of top vendors for omnichannel software, 5 years after it was not even included here. Kudos, Shopify.

So that’s it – these are the best of breed. Of course, there are more out there that deliver great products and I could name Intershop or SalesForce Cloud . They, however are less inclined to omnichannel or have a really new found love for omnichannel retail. The vendors mentioned above are leading the pack in omnichannel retail implementation, especially for large customers.

Macy’s Strategy for Omnichannel Success

Think about this – is there actually such a thing as an online customer? Or an offline customer? Or even a mobile customer? Definitely not. Consumers like to skip sales channels and fulfill their goals in the best way possible. Your customer can research for products online, ask friends for references on social media, test them in the brick and mortar shop and finally purchase in the web store. So it makes no sense treating customers as stuck in a sales channel. The Omnichannel experience, where every consumer can use given sales outlets as she sees fit, is now pretty close to utopia for many retailers.

macysBut others are dedicated to making omnichannel a reality for their customers.

Meet Macy’s.

“Our goal remains to help our customers shop whenever, wherever and however they prefer, and to use the entire inventory of the company to satisfy demand,” Terry Lundgren, Macy’s CEO

As other retailers are facing declining sales and decrease in customer loyalty, Macy’s seems to be thriving. The company has seen recent increase in sales overall and a sharp increase in online sales (48% in 2013).

How did they do it?

Improve customer experience with technology

Macy’s has lots of experience in customer service but the digital revolution took most retailers by surprise. Macy’s has dedicated a large portion of its yearly budget to improving customer experience through technology.

Macy's Flagship store in New York
Macy’s Flagship store in New York

The company’s cost of sales rose to $139 million in 2014 second quarter. This increase was caused by “omnichannel business and the resultant impact of free shipping” which means Macy’s is betting big on its customers’ experience.

The results are great. Just short after Apple Pay was announced, Macy’s announced it will implement the technology in all stores. The company already allowed customers to store their coupons on the Mobile Wallet, that could be accessed anywhere – online, on mobile devices or in store.

Macy's mobile wallet
Macy’s mobile wallet

Using shopBeacon in-store
Using shopBeacon in-store

Macy’s also partnered with Shopkick to increase brick and mortar traffic in its New York and San Francisco stores and now the company is rolling out the shopBeacon technology. The beacons give retailers the ability to push information directly to the consumer’s mobile device. It can welcome shoppers as they walk inside Macy’s stores, send out specific deals and recommendations and can be used as a way to redeem loyalty rewards.

Macy's Beauty Spot kiosk
Macy’s Beauty Spot kiosk

Interactive kiosks were used to improve customer experience throughout brick and mortar stores. The kiosks vary in size and complexity, ranging from simple browse and order applications to more complex features. The “Beauty spot” kiosk, for example, improves Macy’s cosmetics section with an electronic make-up consultant. The system advises potential buyers on makeup and skin products that are best fitted for their needs.

Even store associates are empowered when answering customer needs. The company is now testing mobile and tablet POS that can connect to real-time inventory and offer quick responses to customer needs.

And if we’re talking about real-time inventory, you should know that Macy’s has been working hard at improving cross-channel operations:

Improve fulfillment and inventory management

In 2010 Macy’s piloted a store-fulfillment program in 10 stores. The idea was that if the company can connect inventory from individual stores, it can manage inventory better. As merchandise was sold sold online, stores would be able to ship orders directly, depending on their inventory levels or allow for in-store pick-up.

The program was a success and the company increased the number of stores that could ship orders. 13 more stores were added to the program in 2011. In 2012, 292 stores were shipping orders. In 2013 – roughly 500. The process will be finally completed in 2014 when all 800 stores will be able to fulfill customer orders.

In-store fulfillment increased rapidly since 2012.
In-store fulfillment increased rapidly since 2012.

As these stores began fulfilling orders two things happened. First – orders could be shipped faster, with the ultimate goal of same day delivery, thus improving customer experience. The second big change in Macy’s fulfillment was that using stores meant inventory turnover greatly improved.

With store associates empowered with real-time inventory data, orders began to increase. The store associates could locate items in other stores, and ship that item from that point, directly to the consumer’s requested address.

Macy’s discovered that the nearest store may not always be the best choice to ship the product. Sometimes a product sold in point A could have a really slow turnover so it should be shipped whenever possible. On the other hand, the same product could be in high demand at point B, closer to the customer.

The company didn’t stop here. With stores able to fulfill orders, the Order Online / Pick Up in Store program began in 2013. It was first tested in 10 stores during fall 2013 and began rolling out to all stores in 2014.

It’s not just the stores that improved their fulfillment functions. Macy’s is now expanding its direct-to-consumer fulfillment center in Goodyear to a mega-facility of 960 000 square feet which will be soon followed by an even bigger fulfillment center in Tulsa, in 2015.

So Macy’s is quick to implement omnichannel policies but is it worth it?

Macy’s is winning the retail game

It’s worth it, all right. As you can see in the chart below, Macy’s revenue has been steadily rising, as opposed to some of its main competitors. It seems that 2010 was a real turning point for the company. And what year is that? Right, the year the company began to implementing omnichannel retail.

Macy's growth versus JC Penney and Sears. Source.
Macy’s growth versus JC Penney and Sears. Source.

 

 

 

 

Why Do Online Retailers Fail?

A couple of weeks ago someone asked me a great question. It came from an entrepreneur interested in opening an online store. She had a brick and mortar shop, some experience in offline retail, great merchandise. Previously she’d noticed her customers were asking why can’t they order online, so she decided to give it a try.

So there we are – discussing the necessary steps to open the online channel and integrate it with the offline store. As she previously noticed that success in online retail is seemingly random, she asked a question I was not accustomed to:

Why do online retailers fail?

See – most people want to know what makes Amazon, Staples and other large online retailers successful. They figure that if they study these companies carefully they will get to be successful also. It seems intuitive – see who the leaders are and than copy them.

Companies such as Shopify or BigCommerce thrive on the idea that anyone can start a shop online and be successful. If Jeff Bezos can – why can’t I?

amazonjeff-bezos
Jeff Bezos – Amazon

Browse the internet and you’ll find dozens of blogs (this one included) on this particular subject. “How to be successful when selling online”? You’ll get thousands of posts on what makes online retailers succeed. The harsh truth, however, is that most online retailers fail.

You should know that …

Amazon is an exception.

Staples is an exception.

AliBaba is an exception.

Ebay is an exception.

Multi-billion online retailers are exceptions. They are market anomalies. They are not the norm. The harsh truth is that beyond logistics, most of these companies have done totally different things on their way to becoming successful online. They will continue to do so. And they probably won’t share their plans and strategies online.

Even if these strategic plans and key performance indicators were available online – what good would it do? Say you had all the information on how Amazon works. What good will it do? There already is an Amazon on the market. You’ll be a challenger at best.

So there is really no way of making sure your store will succeed. But there is something you could do: minimize the chances of failure.

There are patterns in online retail failure

There is a saying that goes something like: Tell me where I’ll die so I will never go there.

While successful online retail business models are really different from retailer to retailer, failures, I’ve noticed, have common traits. Companies ignoring basic product management, employees not engaged in client service, poor merchandise – they are all things easy to spot when retailers close shops.

Before going online and browsing around for the latest marketing gimmick, have a look at six of the most common things that lead to failure:

1. Lousy and/or not enough products

Commerce hasn’t changed much in the past … umm … thousand of years. The basic concept is simple: you buy a product from the manufacturer, bring it to the customer, get something in return. Of course – the customer needs / wants to be provided with the best merchandise he or she can afford.

Failing to put the product first is the one biggest mistake retailers make. It’s easy to believe that it’s all marketing and you can sell anything. You can’t. At least you can’t do it for a prolonged period of time. Eventually people will start asking for their money back. They will post bad reviews. Your store will fail.

So focus on the product. Find manufacturers that will deliver upon high standards.

Having great products is not enough, though – they have to be plenty. Customers need choices. Of course – you might think Apple does not need variety but the industry Apple is in does. There are plenty of PC’s, laptops and smartphones out there. All at the right price.

2. The wrong price

Pricing is one of the areas most sensitive to error because it can swing both ways. You can either charge too much or not enough.

You can be charging too much and there is nothing wrong with selling expensive products but make sure they’re worth it. Remember – online, anyone can track prices. Customers can feel cheated if your markup is too large.

You can also be charging too little – remember, prices are not weapons, unless you’re the market leader. Even then – prices should be used as a last resort. A cheap product remains a cheap product. Do the math – see if your supply chain and procurement can handle low prices. If not – differentiate with services, a curated selection of products and great customer service.

3. Not paying attention to customer care

Actual Zappos Call-Center
Actual Zappos Call-Center

As an online store there aren’t too many points of contact between you and your customer. Probably the most important is the customer care team. Operators answering the phone are one of online retail’s biggest assets. Or liabilities.

For every Zappos-like company that thrives on great customer care, there are thousands of online retailers ignoring it.

Having a customer satisfaction – oriented team can work wonders for online retailers.

4. Ignoring logistics

Quick – do you know what makes Walmart the largest retailer in the world (both online and offline)? Prices? Sure, but that’s just part of it.

The answer is logistics. Walmart was not always the company we know today. Between 1980 and 1990 the company started a quick expansion program to enable it to match its competitors. In 1981 they tied their stores through a satellite communications system that would enable real-time reporting, as soon as products were purchased. By 1988 90%  of all stores were using barcode readers to handle inventory tracking. It doesn’t seem like much now but back then there was no internet to connect the stores and barcode reading was only just taking off.

Now, Walmart is an astonishing logistics company. This is the key to keeping the company well supplied and one of the most important factors in keeping the prices down.

Amazon, too, is much more than meets the eye. Between the print on demand options, huge warehouses, robotic warehouse management and integrated supply and demand – Amazon means logistics. Retailers failing to improve their logistics will have problems staying afloat.

5. Outdated or limited technology

You wouldn’t be expecting technology to be an issue when it comes to online retailers. After all – online stores are … well … technology based – right? Indeed, but there is much more than a front end when it comes to online retail technology.

Here are a few things retailers need to invest in, if they are to expect to stand a chance:

  • CRM software – you need to know as much as possible about customers and make sure they are satisfied with your service
  • Inventory management – this is a combination between hardware, software and know-how. Online retailers need to know in real time what’s in stock, what is expected to go out-of-stock and where are the slow movers. For starters.
  • Supply chain management – dealing with suppliers is not always easy. Technology can help streamline the relationship between suppliers, retailers and end-consumers. Automated order placement and processing, barcodes, RFID readers and tags to help track packages, inventory inflow and outflow management – these things sound boring and complicated. They are, however, necessary for any online retailer.

6. Bad management

No technology will save a company lead by bad management. And as you might expect this is a combination of factors. There is no single individual usually guilty of sabotaging the company.

One can notice in failing online retailers some patterns – a combination between managers focusing too much on marketing or PR, a rigid organizational structure and the lack of senior expertise.

There is little data on the impact of rigid and poorly prepared management when it comes to online retail. This is due to the fact that online retail is still in it infancy and performance indicators can be  misguiding. It is, nevertheless, one of the most important factors in failing online retail companies.

6 things that can lead to failure for online retailers

So there you have it – the 6 big things that you need to focus on. Notice there are no tips on marketing, website design, search engine positioning and such. These are not critical problems. Marketing, design, accessibility – they can all be easily spotted and fixed.

Unfortunately – it is harder to understand and improve the product range, prices, logistics, customer care and of course – management. But this is where you need to look for a chance at building a successful retail company.