Many Retailers Still Need A ‘Chief Silo-Busting Officer’

For the last five years or so much of retail has been obsessed with becoming “omni-channel.” As I pointed out in a Forbes piece last year, this ambition sounds good, but is often ill-defined and poorly focused. The point is not to be everywhere, but to eliminate friction and be remarkable and relevant in the places along the customer journey where it really matters. It’s why, as one of my 7 Steps to Remarkable Retail, I encourage brands to design and execute a “harmonized” shopping experience. Harmonized retail requires the important aspects of the customer’s journey to sing beautifully together, regardless of touchpoint or channel, completely devoid of discordant notes. It also requires that we let go of the dualistic notion of e-commerce and physical retail. In most cases, it’s all just commerce and the customer is ultimately the channel. Read more at Forbes.