Real life and the virtual one are slowly becoming indistinguishable, especially when it comes to shopping.

The digital sea isn’t what it used to be, now there are ferries crossing it constantly to make connections between online-first companies and their brick and mortar shops, as well as joining the traditional brick-and-mortar retailers with their shiny new eCommerce sites. In the midst of all of this, everyone still has to keep omnichannel in mind.

Omnichannel, the New Consumer Constant

It wasn’t that long ago that you’d go to the store and buy what you needed, or you’d check your email from home.

The first iPhone, released just a decade ago, started the world down the rabbit hole that has become omnichannel shopping. You can shop from your home PC, then add something to the same cart with your tablet on your commute, pay for it all on your smartphone and then pick it up in person at a nearby store.

The logistics of all of this are incredible, and only getting more interesting. Some experts are predicting a future with a high level of engagement with autonomous vehicles that might act as delivery drones, as well as mobile fulfillment hubs that keep both stores and warehouses stocked with the right merchandise at the right times. The retail supply chain has forever been altered by the expansion of omnichannel practices.

Retailers in the 21st Century

Staying ahead of the eCommerce wave can be terrifying for anyone with a brick-and-mortar store, but you don’t have to fear death by returns management or sheer progress and evolution. Your brand is still relevant in an omnichannel world, provided you make it one that people care about. More in-store engagement can keep customers coming in the doors, especially if you marry the in-store experience with well-branded eCommerce.

Start with easy changes like accepting returns in your store rather than forcing customers to mail them back to your reverse logistics facility. While they’re in your shop, they might feel like browsing a bit and then pick up a few items they weren’t expecting to find. Or maybe your branded app will generate an alert about a flash sale that you’re having while they happen to be in the parking lot.

There are lots of ways to do retail and omnichannel, but the most successful retailers make sure to add something extra to the in-store and online experiences. Omnichannel isn’t just about moving between devices anymore, it’s about staying inside the branded experience as you do.

The post Retail and The Continuing Growth of Omnichannel first appeared on Smart Returns.

The truth is that forward-facing, and to some extent, reverse, logistics is an industry that’s on the move. There’s no one single model that has been established as the highest and best example of the supply chain in action, though there are a few that really don’t work at all.

Much of the visible struggle is coming from retailers that now have eCommerce extensions, otherwise known as “bricks and clicks” retailers. Unlike Internet retailers that have had the benefit of starting with nothing but one or two small warehouses, these giant retailers have been around long enough to have hundreds of stores and distribution points, all adding to the confusion of trying to implement an omnichannel or agile supply chain, in forward or reverse. 

You Can Build an Omnichannel Experience

From your perspective, implementing a true omnichannel supply chain may feel like a nightmare about to start: Your stores aren’t connected to one another and none of them can access your warehouse without making a phone call.

Omnichannel is not all that difficult to implement on a smaller scale, you simply have to reconfigure your stores to be able to check each other’s stock, as well as the stock in the warehouse, in order to find products fast using software. This also will allow customers to initiate returns from any of your locations, where you can either place the item back onto the shelf immediately or send it into your reverse logistics process.

Make Things Easier With Returns Management

When you’re building from scratch, you have the benefit of doing it right, without all the headaches of legacy systems piled on top of legacy systems. Using a returns management company can also ease the burden, since they’re already setup to handle inventory coming from complex supply chains, whether those are retail-only or bricks and clicks retailers.

Customers may hold all the power in today’s retail landscape, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do reverse logistics and omnichannel in a way that works for your company. As long as you provide a fast, seamless experience for your shoppers, they don’t care how or why or what method your supply chain is using to get the job done.

The post Reverse Logistics, Omnichannel And Your Supply Chain first appeared on Smart Returns.