Many opinion contributors are not communicating the essence of the meaning of multi-channel retailing for today’s business environment. 

Writer after writer espouses the need for retailers to develop a coordinated multi-channel strategy, but very few actually recognise that retailers have been communicating with customers across their multiple channels from day dot.  In fact, I would venture to say that according to the way many discuss multi-channel retailing, there isn’t a single mono-channel retailer on this earth.

Of course retailers must coordinate their business systems to support customer interactions across physical, online, and mobile stores.  There is no insight in that point.

So what is new?  What is it that has hyped up the consultants and advisors into a flurry of prognostications and advice?  And why is it that retailers have “not embraced” this advice?

I’d like to remind us all of the unchanging and underlying retailing principle that it’s all about the customer. 

What is new in 2011/2012 is that we have entered an era where customers are learning to use technology to enhance their lifestyles at an increasing rate, and for those retailers not keeping up, it has become truly scary.

Couple this with the unparalleled choice consumers have in many of their buying decisions means that retailers more than ever must focus on their ability to deliver service and products in relevant ways to their target customers.  And this translates into needing to build value in retail brands, and the need to have effective tools for staff to enhance relationships with customers of their brand.

Nothing new in those needs, just more of what retailers know they need to do every minute of the extended (24-7) trading day.

The real challenge right now is to productively deliver increased service.  That means delivering more gross profit dollars for less capital and expense.  According to the draft Productivity Commission report, Australian’s productivity on this measure is falling while the USA’s is increasing.

There are very many ways small, medium, and large retailers can go about increasing productivity within their operations.  It certainly isn’t a “cookie cutter” approach that I advocate, but innovation (in people, processes, and/or technology) is at the core if you are going to make a difference. 

Despite my fear of heaping more onto the growing mountain of consultant-dribble, innovation in retail will be the subject of another article, but until then, ask yourself: "What are you doing to encourage innovation in the areas that are important to your brand?"