How can traditional retailers stay ahead in the omnichannel race and what does Gen Z expect next?
The changing face of retail
In the ever-changing world of retail, it seems that traditional physical retailers are outpacing e-commerce brands in the omnichannel race. Recent findings from Retail Dive show that brick outlets are winning-out when it comes to providing a unified, flexible and convenience-driven experience that seamlessly bridges online and offline touchpoints. This raises a pressing question for those concerned with customer experience (CX): What lessons can we take from these successes, especially when trying to reach the hyper-connected, mobile-first Gen Z?
Traditional retailers' omnichannel edge
Features like buy online, collect in store, simple returns and great customer service are giving traditional retailers an edge. Their investment in unifying systems and people to create a seamless journey that recognises that customers don’t see channels - just their end purchase - is paying off and is something that ecommerce brands need to embody in order to grow.
Why mobile matters more than ever – especially for Gen Z
For Gen Z, mobile isn’t just a channel — it’s the channel. They grew up with smartphones and expect retail experiences to mirror the speed, design and responsiveness of their favourite social platforms. That means a clunky checkout process will likely result in an instant drop-off. The way to get it right is with a sleek, swipeable and socially integrated journey.
Creating a secure and seamless mobile experience
Creating a mobile-friendly e-commerce journey is about more than responsive design. It should consider how you intuitively move from exploring products to purchasing them at checkout. Think thumb-friendly navigation, autofill forms, optimised payment methods and fast load speeds. Equally, delivering a seamless experience also means removing any potential doubt. If customers are slowed down by being asked to prove who they are or left wondering if they qualify for an offer, they're more likely to walk away from the purchase. This is where smart, real-time integrations come into play.
How InAcademia supports a frictionless journey for students
InAcademia offers the ideal solution for brands looking to streamline their student customer journeys. With a simple API, it provides real-time, secure validation of student affiliation through university login credentials. The process removes the need for manual uploads but still allows brands to deliver exclusive student offers - supporting that ever important seamless journey right at the point of purchase and instantly increasing customer trust.
Omnichannel isn’t optional, it’s expected
What we see from the best-performing brands is that omnichannel is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s an expectation. As alluded to earlier, Gen Z doesn’t think in channels - all they care about is ease, speed and consistency. Whether buying from their phone late at night or picking up a purchase in-store the next day, they want the same brand voice, level of support and intuitive experience. Therefore considering every touchpoint: online, offline, mobile and hybrid is a must for delivering a truly connected transaction that they’ll want to repeat.
Traditional retailers are gaining ground by refining omnichannel strategies, but digital native brands can still compete if they remove friction and think about how they too can ensure a seamless journey. Tools like InAcademia play a role here because it’s all about providing a more secure, yet faster journey for students. The question brands need to be asking is fairly simple: Are we providing the trustworthy, mobile-friendly, familiar experience our audience expects?
Find out more about how we can help here.