New Challenges for a Concept That’s Not So New

Multi-channelling is not so new. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about combining store and online sales.

Professor Laurent Raoul, associate of the French fashion institute and a European supply chain specialist, reminds us that: “combining channels existed well before the Internet. Outlets, private sales, independent resellers etc. Brands have always been made up of different distribution networks.” The globalization of brands is the real change that has made multi-channel logistics considerably more complex in recent years.

In this new context, it is up to the brands to consistently present to clients that are more and more mobile and connected. For Laurent Raoul, the observation is clear: “To guarantee the consumer a consistent purchasing experience, brands are obliged to unify their price, discount and sales policy across their various channels”. By displaying products as available while they are in fact out of stock or having price differences that are too great between one channel and another, the risk is deceiving the consumer. It can all come crashing down at any given time…

A unified vision of the brand

However, although this streamlining process remains simple when the retailer is prominent on one channel, it begins to sway whenever different channels become as significant. These enter into competition against each other and create problems with low stocks and restocking. Within this approach, there are as many information systems as channels and communication between them is limited to say the least. This is a downfall as it is exactly this level of consistency that the customer expects from the brand. They want transparency between the various points of contact and personalized, consistent communication no matter what channel (read story). For Laurent Raoul, there is a clear observation: