ASB MAGAZINE: According to the company that powers Boardriders retail fulfillment and omni-channel solutions, just 31.4% of Australian retailers offer buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS). Comparatively, 64.0% of UK retailers offer click and collect services today. Australia lags behind in this context. However, most retailers in Australia have an active e-commerce business, at 84.3%. This is on par with the global average of 86.3% found in the Omni-2000: Global Research report.
Based on results from the seven countries surveyed, it is clear that omni-channel in Australia is still developing. To progress, Australian retailers are prioritizing advertising BOPIS, educating customers through FAQs and promoting pickup notifications.
Out of 299 Australia-based retailers with a minimum of 10 stores, key findings include:
- 2% of omni-channel retailers offer basic, active inventory visibility
- 0% of retailers provide free return deliveries
- 8% of retailers offer Buy Online Return In-Store
- 5% of omni-channel retailers advertise BOPIS on their web page
- 7% of omni-channel retailers provide Click and Collect FAQs
While results prove Australia is progressing as a balanced and developing market of omni-channel capabilities, this pace needs to accelerate.
In accordance with the emerging trend of social media as a retail channel, Australian shoppers are similarly gravitating toward this option. However, most retailers are missing out on the opportunity as only 5.3% of omni-channel retailers sell on Instagram.
Active inventory visibility, highlighting if an item is in-stock or out-of-stock online, is also declining at an alarming rate. Of Australian retailers surveyed, only 33.8% show basic, active inventory visibility. Decreased visibility remains a global problem among retailers. This is important because it heightens the chance of losing customers to another retailer’s site.
“The market in Australia holds quite a bit of potential for omni-channel,” said Nick McLean, president, OrderDynamics. “While opportunities for growth are apparent, many retailers are making significant advances. It will be exciting to see how this trend evolves in 2019.”
About OrderDynamics
OrderDynamics, a Tecsys company, develops the world’s leading Out-of-the-Box Distributed Order Management Technology. Powering retail fulfillment, the company helps clients make omni-channel retail a reality. OrderDynamics enables retail options like Buy Online Pickup In-Store (BOPIS | Click & Collect), ship-to-store, and ship-from-store; creating seamless shopping experiences. Iconic brands like Speedo, Boardriders, Columbia Sportswear, JYSK, Princess Auto, Crabtree and Evelyn, and Browns Shoes use OrderDynamics’ technology across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, visit www.orderdynamics.com.
