Have you ever experienced going to your favourite cafe and the barista knows your name and order, without you saying it? What if you could have that same experience on your phone, with the app or on the website of your favourite café?
This level of interconnectedness is not just confined to your favourite cafe but is also a hallmark of a successful omnichannel strategy that various companies use. Some of these brands are Apple, Ultrahuman, Turtle Wax, Acer, and Nykaa which are setting the standard, ensuring that wherever you interact with them, your experience is consistent, personalised, and effortless.
In the Indian market, B2B omnichannel retailing has emerged as one of the must-do’s with the rise of digital commence. Latest research shows that companies using omnichannel strategies witness higher customer retention rates year over year compared to companies that don’t. In this blog, we take a deep dive to look at how these five standout brands are nailing B2B omnichannel retailing.
Omnichannel retailing is a sales strategy or customer service that provides customers with a seamless and integrated experience over various platforms. Whether customers shop online through a mobile device a laptop or in a store, the experience is consistent and cohesive. The strategy interlinks all channels by creating unified customer profiles, synchronised inventory, and activity continuity. In other words, omnichannel retailing attempts to establish one fluid, personalised journey for the customer in which contacts with the brand are easy and effective at any time, however, and wherever they may take place.
Apple Inc. is a technology hub. It designs, manufactures, and sells consumer electronics, software, and online services.
Key products include the iPhone, the iPad, Mac computers, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple also creates software like the macOS and iOS operating systems, the iTunes media player, the Safari web browser, and productivity suites iWork and iLife.
Apple’s Omnichannel Retailing Strategy
Apple combines its offline and online stores effortlessly. The company ensures that customers can begin their purchasing experience either online and finish it in-store or vice versa. For example, customers can reserve an item online and collect it in-store through contactless delivery or curbside pickup. This adaptability caters to the diverse choices of customers and brings ease. Not just that, Apple also offers customers a personalized shopping experience for both in-store and online platforms. Customers can book one-on-one sessions with specialists to get tailored advice about selecting the product, financing options, and carrier plans. The personalized service also extends to online platforms where the setup or tips can be advised through an online personal session. Apple also uses the data it has collected from customers which helps it provide personalized recommendations and strategically uses this technique to attract customers in their offline and online stores. This shows how Apple leverages its omnichannel retailing strategy to provide the best possible customer experience to the customers which therefore helps in attracting customers to use their products time and again.
Ultrahuman is an Indian brand that provides health and fitness devices. It brings a bunch of quantified health-tracking devices such as Ultrahuman Ring Air and M1 continuous glucose monitor, among others these devices together in one place, enabling the users to derive deep insights into their physical and metabolic health. Ultrahuman provides users with features such as real-time monitoring of glucose levels, sleep patterns, movement, and heart rate variability (HRV).
Ultrahuman’s Omnichannel Retailing Strategy
The Ultrahuman ring air provides the users with health monitoring and interconnectedness within its products. The devices supplied by Ultrahuman help in tracking movement, sleep, and other vitals, and the Ultrahuman M1 continuous glucose monitor. These devices by Ultrahuman are a great way to ensure customers' blessing and health. Not just that, ultrahuman also combine data that they are provided with from different platforms and devices to provide the users with actionable insights into their health. The data is helpful for users to make decisions based on the recommendations that are provided from the data collected. This personalization is a crucial aspect of Ultrahuman’s omni-channel strategy, to ensure that advice is timely and relevant to the user wherever they are in the mix. The data that is provided by users is consistently uploaded to all their devices. Users can track their health across various devices without losing their data.
Want to learn more about omnichannel retailing? visit B2B Omnichannel Retailing: 9 Trends to Watch Out for in 2024
Turtle Wax is an American brand that is famous for providing its customers with car care products. These products are found in a wide range such as cleaning, polishing, and protective solutions for various vehicle surfaces like paint, glass, metal, and leather. Some of the most renowned products by Turtle Wax include its infamous "Hybrid Solutions" line features new formulas, with ceramic and graphene additives for protection and shine. Turtle wax has been in the industry for over eight decades and the company’s commitment to research, quality, and innovation are the main reasons why consumers not just everyday consumers but also automotive professionals prefer using Turtle wax.
Turtle Wax’s Omnichannel Retailing Strategy
Turtle Wax perfectly uses its omnichannel retailing to provide a seamless customer experience across its online and in-store channels. Customers can freely research products online and read reviews before finally purchasing either in-store or vice versa. This approach caters to flexibility and convenience for the modern consumer, where customers need to have interactions with the brand tailored to serve their best interests. Turtle Wax uses customer data from multiple touchpoints to come up with personalized suggestions and offers. For example, customized emails or in-app push notifications can be sent to customers with car care product recommendations based on their purchase or browsing history. This method not only helps in attracting new customers who might be searching for products for their car care but also in keeping the customers engaged through the notifications of offers in the app or mail.
Social commerce tools provide customers the ability to buy products directly through social media, hence much more intuitive and streamlined. This provides an easy and hassle-free shopping experience for customers, whether on a desktop or from a mobile device. The brand also employs mobile marketing techniques by keeping the customers informed about various promotional activities and order status through SMS. Turtle Wax uses AI-driven predictive tools, from understanding customer behaviour to suggesting relevant products in line with the predicted needs.
Acer Inc. is headquartered in New Taipei City, Taiwan, and is an international business entity engaged in the designing, marketing, and distribution of computer hardware and electronics. Starting way back as Multitech in 1976, today Acer is one of the leading ICT companies in the world. Innovation in its PC and displays business, and sustainability efforts that have landed the company on the top global sustainability indices of leading companies, including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the MSCI ESG Leaders Indexes, have characterized the company's recent years.
Acer’s Omnichannel Retailing Strategy
It makes the shopping experience uniform because the company integrates its online and offline channels. A customer can do a product inquiry online and later visit the physical store to view the exact product before purchasing. More so, there exists an option allowing for online purchases with in-store pickup adding to consumer flexibility. Acer maintains touch with customers through various digital platforms which include a website, social media, and mobile applications. These are platforms for product information, customer reviews, and virtual assistance whereby the customer may get a uniform brand experience together with all touchpoints. It allows not only consistent communication but also customer bonding. Acer leverages the power of superior data analytics by understanding consumer needs and preferences. With this, they can now take up a data-driven approach to provide personalized recommendations and promotions to make the shopping experience more interesting. This will go a long way in helping Acer anticipate customer needs better by analyzing data from online and offline interactions for tailoring marketing efforts.
Acer has in place excellent systems of inventory management to support an omnichannel operation. These provide real-time visibility into stock levels, available through various channels, thus eliminating risks of overstocking or stockouts. This consignment model ensures the efficiency of inventory management since the customer's expectations will be met and the orders will be fulfilled on time. Such kind of technology places Acer ahead and allows them to give elite experiences to their customers. Acer is yet another example of how the correct use of omnichannel retailing is a great way to not only attract customers but also to increase a company’s reputation.
Nykaa is an Indian e-commerce company that operates on the model of selling beauty, wellness, and fashion products. The platform was founded in 2012 by Falguni Nayar, an investment banker who left her job to create an e-commerce portal. Today, it has grown to be one of the key businesses in the Indian beauty and fashion market. Nykaa engages with its customer base through the Nykaa Network—an online community for beauty and fashion—and the Beauty Book, a beauty and fashion magazine.
Nykaa’s Omnichannel Retailing Strategy:
The famous fashion beauty brand is a great example of why companies should invest in their omnichannel. Nykaa has over 100 physical stores across 38 cities in India, which includes Nykaa Luxe and Nykaa On Trend. These stores provide customers with a sampling of products and expert beauty consultations. This physical presence is building not only a more resilient distribution network but also creates the possibility of hyperlocal delivery for an improved shopping experience. The website and mobile application of Nykaa are user-friendly, providing a smooth, hassle-free shopping experience. The websites are designed to easily browse, select, and buy products.
Nykaa has added personalized recommendations and loyalty programs have been added to the app to ensure repeat purchases. Nykaa also leverages engaging content through its YouTube channel, Nykaa TV, featuring beauty tutorials, product reviews, and trend updates. The company collaborates with over 1,300 influencers across multiple categories to generate content relevant to a huge audience and thus maximize its brand presence and credibility. Nykaa deploys cutting-edge technologies such as AI and machine learning in customer experience personalization. AI-driven insights are key in offering customized product recommendations that will elevate customer satisfaction and bring effectiveness to operations. Nykaa's loyalty program provides special benefits, personalized recommendations, and special promotions to loyal customers. The program is envisaged to enhance customer engagement and retention by way of a consistent, rewarding shopping experience across all channels. At Nykaa, customer experience has been built into the company's DNA with a declared focus on quality products and expert consultations. This helps the customers to search for the products they like before they can try them in-store or order their favourite beauty products online without visiting in-store. These omnichannel retailing strategies are a great way to retain customers in their organization.