DO THE COSTS OF OMNICHANNEL STORE INITIATIVES OUTWEIGH THE BENEFITS?

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RANDOLPH, NJ--(Marketwired - November 02, 2015) - The retail store has come full circle in the 

last 10 years. From being called obsolete with the onset of eCommerce to being hailed as the savior 

for brick & mortar omnichannel retailers as the key differentiator to the customer experience. Stores,

in fact, continue to evolve as they move from being a single channel to a hub of retail that enables 

engagement for the omnichannel consumer. But, at what cost?

According to the 3rd Annual Future of Stores benchmark report by EKN Research, retailers should 

expect a 25% increase in labor hours and an average 2.4% increase in operations cost by adding

 such omnichannel initiatives as in-store fulfillment and online returns. However, the study also details 

key benefits that store-based omnichannel initiatives bring to areas such as attachment rate (+9.2%)

 and in-store pick up (12.5% sales lift).

"Retailers have found that integrating omnichannel strategies in the store are far more difficult 

than anticipated," said Sahir Anand, VP research and principal analyst, EKN. "However, the 

opportunity for brick & mortar retailers to enhance customer satisfaction, share of wallet and 

attachment rates with a better store experience is tremendous. The data uncovered in this study 

shows that real revenue gains are available to those retailers who adopt such strategies."