2014 is a big year for Omni-channel as retailers begin to expand across channels.
In a National Retail Federation study almost half of shoppers that responded plan to finish holiday shopping in the first three weeks of December. During these crunch times, online and brick-and-mortar stores are in tough competition with each other.
In general, about 40% of shoppers are “trade-off shoppers” who research online but buy cheaper products if they are available in stores. The rest are nearly evenly split between those who shop primarily online and those who shop primarily in stores. Merchants are increasingly utilizing both channels in order to earn the business of all types.
As a result, digital and physical commerce are quickly converging into omni-channel. This is great news for merchants who now have more channels through which to reach buyers. It is bad news for merchants who haven’t considered the elevated fraud risks and how to prevent mobile fraud.. Take caution and understand how this convergence will impact your business.