Retail experts launch new edition of omnichannel retail handbook

The second edition of the best-selling retail handbook, Omnichannel Retail: How to Build Winning Stores in a Digital World, is now available in the UK and for pre-order in other markets.

Written by Eagle Eye CEO Tim Mason, former Tesco executive and the originator of the first grocery loyalty program, and retail expert Sarah Jarvis, the new and updated edition explores the value of digital customer connection, how to harness it online and in-store using the latest tools and proven strategies from omnichannel leaders.

Omnichannel Retail outlines the importance of making digital connections with customers at all stages of the shopping journey to drive engagement, retention and sales.

The book includes actionable recommendations around how to update physical store spaces to leverage digital opportunities and mobile capabilities, deliver more meaningful marketing communications, create personalised loyalty experiences and maximise the potential of customer data.

Tim Mason, Eagle Eye CEO and Omnichannel Retail co-author, comments, "A lot has changed since the original edition was published in 2019, and retailers today are faced with increased pressure and competition on multiple fronts, including rising costs, changing consumer expectations, and technological advancements."

"I wanted to provide an updated guide for retail marketers navigating an increasingly complex marketplace and how they can use these shifts to their competitive advantage."

Critical Insights from Omnichannel Retail second edition include:

• The digital imperative has increased exponentially since the original printing: With one-third of consumers reporting that they 'often' shop both in-store and online during the same purchase occasion, a seamless omnichannel customer experience has become mandatory to remain competitive.
• The need to deliver a good customer experience has not changed, but the tools for doing so have: Today's consumer increasingly expects a more personalised and relevant brand experience, and marketers must adjust strategy accordingly to remove friction in the shopping journey and increase the utility of offers and communications.
• Intelligent retail spaces and real-time touchpoints will be imperatives moving forward: Creating retail spaces that more fully integrate mobile capabilities, deliver valuable in-store services and self-service capabilities, offer entertainment through challenges or gamification, and enable real-time, contextualised offers ('Marketing in the Moment'), represent the future of retail.

The book also contains updated advice for maximising the benefits of data-based retailing and how to leverage location-based marketing tools. It features several new chapters, including The Fundamentals of Loyalty, The Power of Personalization, Marketing in the Moment and Monetizing the Customer Connection.

Mason says, "Digital connection has become an essential part of everyday life, transforming the way we work, communicate, and especially how we shop."

"Today's digitally connected consumer expects you to know what they want and to use that information to improve their shopping experience. The updated edition of Omnichannel Retail covers strategies and tactics to provide consumers with a convenient, personalised and unified shopping experience, wherever, whenever and however they choose to engage with you."

Supplemented with program metrics from Eagle Eye customers and case studies from omnichannel leaders, the new edition of Omnichannel Retail provides fellow industry innovators and marketers with a set of tools and frameworks to deliver best-in-class omnichannel marketing solutions, the authors state.