Getting Synchronized for the Holidays: Why Multi-Channel Retailers Need to Elevate Their Game for Savvy Consumers

There was a time when consumers all but expected the online shopping experience to differ from the traditional, bricks-and-mortar options. E-commerce was in its infancy, companies did what they could to adapt to the shift, and buyers accepted mistakes and inconsistencies (like the time a local retailer not only neglected to ship an online holiday order to my in-laws, but then called exactly one year later to confirm the purchase for the upcoming holiday) as part of the convenience of ordering goods and services from their comfort of their homes.

Fast-forward to 2012 and the days of the forgiving, understanding consumer are long gone. Today's discerning buyers pay attention to issues like consistent pricing across different selling channels, inventory accuracy, ease of buying online and returning offline (or vice versa), and conveniences like purchasing gift cards online and them using them at a physical location.

In other words, a multi-channel retailer had better have their house in order if they want to get along with today's online shopper.

Some companies get it right, but others are still missing a pretty big boat. Holiday shoppers are ready to shell out $749.51 each this year (up from $740.57 in 2011), according to the National Retail Federation's holiday consumer spending survey. The fact that a record 51.8 percent of those holiday shoppers plan to buy gifts and other items online (up from 46.7 percent in 2011), makes integrated storefronts that much more critical for retailers and distributors.

"Some companies have older websites that they've been running for a long time and that are integrated with their Microsoft Dynamics and/or other back-office applications," says Lisa Steinhart, vice president of sales and market ...