Article

Greta Paa-kerner
Greta Paa-kerner 9 March 2015
Categories Ecommerce

ASDA Canning Its Commerce Silos For Omnichannel

ASDA is joining the omnichannel revolution.

If I were a day trader, I would be short retail stocks.



And not because of the state of the economy as that is picking up, but because of the looming omnichannel reality facing retailers. Blending online and offline shopping requires a massive internal structural shift in many aspects of retailing, such as commerce platforms, inventory control, customer service and marketing.

Then there’s an entire company culture that needs to be transformed. This evolution needs to happen to all size retailers, but it will be the most painful for large brands, the kinds that float stock and the kinds that are so big that change doesn’t happen easily.

It’s difficult to make such large changes within the confines of existing internal best practices not to mention having the right human resources to make the switch.

According to a report conducted by commerce platform provider Mozu, the top three barriers to retail innovation for high-revenue organizations are:

  1. Difficulty implementing backend technology (29.6%) 
  2. Insufficient financial resources (25.5%) 
  3. Lack of education and training of employees (25.5%) 


ASDA Jumps In An example of a retailer getting serious about omnichannel is ASDA. They recently announced a long-term plan to invest in bridging the gap between online and offline retail to reflect the changes in consumer shopping habits. Although their like-for-like sales were down 1% last year, they are investing £600m to link their ecommerce with their physical stores.

And back to my imaginary world of day trading, where would I invest? In the commerce platform developers as well as consulting firms and agencies that are making multichannel retailing a reality for today’s brands. They have a steady pipeline of work for the foreseeable future.

About Author:

Greta Paa-Kerner (@gretapk) is a guest lecturer on digital and affiliate marketing and a management consultant through Ganduxer Consulting. Visit her blog and LinkedIn profile

FREE EVENT: Join Digital Doughnut in London on March 31st, 2015 for an evening of networking with speakers reviewing Digital Transformation


Read More on Digital Doughnut

 

Check out our latest videos!

 

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
‘Complainer marketing’ – should we harness rage to promote brands?

‘Complainer marketing’ – should we harness rage to promote brands?

As marketers, we're always looking to get the best results for our clients. But should we highjack the emotions of their customers to do so? No, as I explain in this post, you're better than that.

Tom Chapman
Tom Chapman 18 July 2018
Read more
How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

Whether you're a startup or an established business, the company website is an essential element of your digital marketing strategy. The most effective sites are continually nurtured and developed in line with...

Digital Doughnut Contributor
Digital Doughnut Contributor 7 January 2020
Read more
7 reasons why social media marketing is important for your business

7 reasons why social media marketing is important for your business

Social media is quickly becoming one of the most important aspects of digital marketing, which provides incredible benefits that help reach millions of customers worldwide. And if you are not applying this profitable...

Sharron Nelson
Sharron Nelson 6 February 2018
Read more
Infographic: The State of Product Discovery 2023

Infographic: The State of Product Discovery 2023

New research from London Research and Attraqt explores the latest trends around product discovery in digital commerce, covering site search, merchandising and personalisation.

Linus Gregoriadis
Linus Gregoriadis 25 May 2023
Read more
The Use of Chatbots in Improving Customer Experience and Brand Engagement

The Use of Chatbots in Improving Customer Experience and Brand Engagement

Chatbots have become increasingly popular in recent years, and have been used by many businesses as a tool for improving customer experience and brand engagement. A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate...

Brack Nelson
Brack Nelson 18 May 2023
Read more