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Social Media + Supply Chain

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Succeeding in the New World of the Omni channel Shopper; Old rules have forever changed. By Dick O'Brien
Social Media + Supply Chain
According to O’Brien (2014) “This is a disruptive era in retailing and there is now no question that the structure of retailing has changed dramatically due to changing shopper behaviour.” The world of retailing has changed drastically in the past few years. Customers now have so much access through wireless and social channels. To compete in this rapidly changing market, retailers must understand how to reach their customers. Retailers are now taking an omni-channel approach to this. “The challenge facing manufacturers and their retail partners is not only how best to capitalize on this fortuitous event, but …show more content…

Chief executive officer Brian Cornell said “We’re encouraged to see early progress on our strategic priorities, including strong sales growth in apparel, home and beauty, nearly 40% growth in digital sales, and positive traffic in both our stores and digital channels." (Liebmann, 2015, p.26). According to Liebmann (2015) “It's no surprise that many retailers have been slow to recognize the importance of the Internet and growing shopper demands for Omni channel access.” In the past decade the power of online marketing, etailing and creating digital channels has changed the retail game. Sometimes, internet sales are easy to dismiss although, they are constantly …show more content…

For example, the process of looking up a product online to actually collecting it in store should be as seamless as possible. According to Berman and Evans (2012) “A well-integrated multi-channel strategy requires linkages among all of the channels ... If these linkages are not properly established, sales can be lost.” A key part of this process is understanding your customers, this can be done through the power of social media. As stated by Berman and Evans (2012) “social media can enhance any retailer’s efforts to provide value and create and maintain customer relationships.”
There are five characteristics common to superior multi-channel strategies. These characteristics, if done correctly, will ensure a retailer will produce and maintain a successful well-integrated multi-channel strategy.
Integrating Promotions across Channels
Berman and Evans (2012) note “Cross-promotion enables consumers to use each promotional forum in its best light.” Here is a list of some cross-promotion tactics.
 Including the Web site address on shopping bags and catalogues
 Include the address of the store, contact number, opening hours and clear directions to the store
 Make it easy for customers to shop your products online (Show offers on social media)
 Give out coupons for the store and other promotional offers
 Have a strong social media

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