Omnichannel Marketing and multichannel may sound similar but they certainly aren't the same. The distinction between them is becoming more important as customer expectations grow and eCommerce expands to new channels.

While both omnichannel and multichannel retailing involve the adoption of multiple platforms there are big differences in the way these are used to sell and promote products. Read on to find out everything you need to know about omnichannel vs multichannel retail.

What is an Omnichannel Retail Strategy?

Omnichannel retail is defined as a multichannel sales approach that provides the customer with an integrated customer experience across each sales channel.

Omnichannel retailing puts the customer experience first. It's not about the needs of your company. Instead it's about letting consumers use their preferred channels to buy from your brand.

Rather than treating each channel independently omnichannel retailing accounts for the fact that many consumers cross over between channels during their consumer journey. It recognizes that someone may research a product online and then buy it in store. Or that they may check out a brand's website before converting on their favorite retail site.

With this in mind an omnichannel strategy aims to remove the boundaries that stop consumers moving between channels or slow down their progression toward conversion. Instead it creates a unified and integrated experience wherever possible. This means a shopper can go to one channel and pick up where they left off on another.

However it's worth noting that omnichannel integration has its limits. For example you can direct visitors to an Amazon listing on your website but you can't link your website on Amazon.

It's crucial to point out that an omnichannel experience is not the same as a multichannel experience. Yes all omnichannel experiences use multiple channels but not all multichannel experiences are omnichannel.

Most businesses have invested in multiple channels such as websites social media email mobile IM physical stores and so on and use them to engage and connect with customers. But very few have managed to provide a seamless experience and consistent messaging across each channel. In fact 78% of retailers admit that they don't provide a unified experience.

What is a Multichannel Retail Strategy?

Multichannel retailing is when a brand uses multiple channels to sell to customers. From a customer experience perspective it's positive that a wide variety of channels are available but multichannel retail often lacks the unified consumer journey that comes with omnichannel retail. It's common for each channel to work in a vacuum and may feature its own unique messaging products and perks.

A common example of multichannel retailing is when a traditional bricks-and-mortar retailer sets up an online store. Often the two channels are treated separately and have different stock return policies and product pricing in place.

While multichannel retailing allows consumers to buy from a selection of platforms their experience is not as seamlessly integrated as it would be in an omnichannel retail environment.

For example shoppers can be disappointed if they see an item online but can't buy online and pick it up in store (BOPIS). If they move from one online channel to another they will also need to enter their account details and fill up their shopping cart all over again.

The reality is that these kinds of issues are on the rise as consumers use more channels and devices to shop. Right now most product searches begin on Amazon or Google. Yet nearly 20% of consumers who research a product online end up buying it in store.

This behavior's sees consumers constantly switching channels before converting. So the appeal of an omnichannel approach is clear. However multichannel retailing allows brands to concentrate on the channels that resonate most with their target audience instead. Rather than focusing on every channel they can invest their budget in the ones that matter most.

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