OrderDynamics announced new research findings for its Omni-2000 Research: Global study. It sheds light on the omni-channel service offerings of more than 2,000 retailers worldwide. This report is a follow-up and expansion of the company’s 2017 Omni-1000 Research.
Key findings include that less than half of retailers provide shoppers with access to basic inventory visibility. Out of the 2,000+ retailers, only a shocking 38.1% show basic inventory visibility on product pages. A strict like-for-like, year-over-year comparison found a 30.7 percent drop in active online inventory visibility. This is a concerning drop in an industry experiencing so much change. Passive inventory visibility is a factor in this drop. Unlike active inventory visibility, a passive approach only signals when a good is out of stock.
Based on data collected from retailers in a variety of sectors across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, France, Germany and Austria, the report revealed:
- 37.6 percent of retailers offer click & collect today.
- 34.8 percent of BOPIS retailers commit to having orders ready within 24 hours.
- 72.6 percent of omni-channel retailers offer BORIS (Buy Online, Return In-Store).
- 11.4 percent of omni-channel merchants have a site optimized for mobile commerce.
For the second year in a row, the U.K. is the leading country in click & collect, with 64 percent of retailers offering the service. Consistent with last year’s Omni-1000 results, the U.S. lags, ranking lowest of the countries assessed, with only 27.5 percent of retailers providing BOPIS. Over 69 percent of consumers acknowledge having tried omni-channel retailing and would like to see more of it. As such, retailers are missing an opportunity for promotion. Further, only 57.1 percent of retailers offering the service advertise it on their website’s front page.
“To increase sales and retain customers, omni-channel retailers today need to provide customers with clarity,” says Nick McLean, CEO, OrderDynamics. “The Omni-2000 reveals where retailers are strong, and other areas where they are lacking across a variety of metrics. Whether it is low stock visibility or general service awareness about cross-channel fulfillment, these are opportunities to get closer to what drives customer demand. OrderDynamics hopes retailers can use these benchmarks to improve their own businesses.”
Click here to access the global study.
