Omnichannel in e-commerce: where do virtual stores still fail in cross-channel integration?

The advance of e-commerce in Brazil and in the world has raised the level of demand of consumers, but the integration between sales channels is still far from being a consolidated reality. omnichannel having ceased to be a trend to become a priority strategy, most companies still face difficulties to connect inventory, website, application, social networks, logistics and service in a single journey without friction.

For Carla Hladczuk, administrator, manager and partner of Uled Luminososos, the most common mistake of companies is to confuse multichannel presence with strategy omnichannel. .“Being on multiple channels does not mean that they talk to each other. The consumer does not see internal departments, but a single brand.If he needs to repeat information or find different prices between channels, the experience has already been compromised”, he says.

The expert points out that among the main bottlenecks is the fragmentation of systems. E-commerce platforms, ERP and CRM often operate in isolation, making it difficult to consolidate data in real time. Another critical point is the visibility of inventory. Failures in updating and synchronization of inventory are among the biggest causes of consumer frustration.

Hladczuk also points out that integration goes beyond technology.“It is no use investing in modern platforms if the areas of marketing, sales, logistics and service do not share goals and indicators. The organizational culture needs to be aligned to offer a fluid journey, which increases the chances of loyalty”, he explains.

The future of e-commerce lies less in the expansion of channels and more in the quality of the connection between them. In a scenario of increasing competition, effective integration between channels is a basic requirement for the sustainability of online retail.“A true competitive advantage is not in opening new touchpoints, but in integrating data, processes and service intelligently., omnichannel it is not about isolated technology, it is about consistent” experience, concludes Carla Hladczuk.