’Tis the season for omnichannel shopping as retailers face festive challenges

68% of retailers agree that getting their omnichannel strategy right is essential for a successful holiday season, according to research from Avalara.

Despite shoppers forming new habits over the past few years, in-store experiences (53%) remains the most important touchpoint in the omnichannel shopping journey, followed by websites (49%), and marketplaces (44%) respectively.

That said, there is still a fair share of challenges to overcome, with 35% of retailers finding supply chain logistics (i.e. processing returns, managing customs requirements) and customer service fulfilment (36%) on holiday orders putting a damper on their holiday cheer.

Avalara surveyed 1,002 UK and US retail business leaders and 2,026 consumers.

Of the US retailers surveyed, 37% are relying on technology to help with inventory management and sales forecasting.

39% are using it to make post-purchase tasks like fulfilment, shipping, and returns easier; 36% are automating operational processes like payroll and budgeting; 34% are integrating tech into their checkout experiences to help make payments and tax calculations go smoothly.

There are similar tech trends in the UK. 32% of UK retailers have invested in technology to prepare for supply chain challenges.