Most brick-and-mortar retailers already offer some level of online and/or omnichannel customer engagement. But many of them aren’t very good at it. The technical, business and cultural skillset that goes into successful digital retailing is distinct from the knowhow that supports successful brick-and-mortar operations. In addition, the underlying technology is different, even in a silo-free, seamless environment.
Any pure play retailer worth buying has top-notch expertise and infrastructure waiting to be integrated into an acquiring brick-and-mortar chain’s omnichannel environment. Obviously the term “instant” is being used loosely here in regard to infrastructure, as the necessary connection, modification and customization may turn out to be costly and time-consuming.
