Saturday, February 04, 2017

Multi-Channel Retail: China Points the Way toward the Future of Retail

Offline, traditional brick and mortars, vs online has often been the ultimatum retailers have dealt with in the past. However, shopping trends have shifted to online and China is leading the way. While many people now prefer to shop online vs offline, this articles discusses the importance of multi-channel marketing, as opposing to picking one or the other. Digital marketing has taken over in China, and as a result 72% of Chinese consumers use social media platforms to gather information about products and services.

I think multi-channel marketing is important, and it also states that you are prepared to meet your consumers at their comfort level regarding their shopping preference. Multi-channel marketing, if budgeted correctly, will give you an advantage as far as your ability to reach your ideal consumer on their terms, which should increase customer captivity. Also, depending on the product, it might be appropriate for consumers to thoroughly research it online, but not make a purchase due to price and network capabilities. Once they've gathered information, they'll most likely want to visit the brick and mortar location to confirm the information they gathered and likely make a decision to make the purchase or not. China is ahead of the curve with digital marketing and their ability to successfully market both offline and online, and their retailers are benefiting.

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