Domestic apparel retailing industry, how far is it from the real O2O

"Double 11" crazy snapped up after, a lot of net buys a clan to fall into the rush of return goods again. According to Xinhua reported that a woman in a place to save time and freight, unexpectedly came up with "strange strokes": to the physical store to "try on" as a cover, will be the number of the network to buy a large brand coat, exchange for the appropriate number of their own.

Of course, the consumer's approach can not be advocated, but we may wish to change the angle of thinking, in the electric dealers are speculation O2O concept of today, to achieve the same goods near the line store returned goods, distance from consumers how far?

The gap between the two lines wastes resources and weakens experience.

Line up and down a single, offline entity shop to take goods, not appropriate on the spot exchange, or express delivery home, after sale can go to nearby stores or counters returned goods. For many consumers, this is a very tempting "dream" consumption pattern.

But the reality is that there is an impassable gap between online shops and offline shops. Only in the electric business Platform open Shop Network brand since needless to say, but even the entity retail stores throughout the city's major business circle of the big brands, most of them can not achieve this way of shopping. The usual practice is that the online platform to generate orders, from payment, delivery to return goods, must be taken including on-line payment, express delivery, such as the line process; Similarly, offline purchases are completely independent. In this respect, the business sales staff explanation is often: online and shop is not a system, no contact.

This line under the lines of the operation of a fragmented way, the domestic many anxious to catch up with the pace of Internet thinking enterprises or retailers, is a more simple way. This "Express Edition", although also achieved good sales performance, but can not conceal its resource allocation and consumption experience on the soft rib.

First of all, the return of goods caused by waste of resources is the most obvious. Online shopping online exchange, the cost of additional delivery time, money, and logistics side of the various transport resources. A deeper layer, the line under the separate commodity management, resulting in the inventory between the two can not achieve a more reasonable distribution. For example, a commodity in the physical store has been out of stock, but can not be from the inventory is still abundant on the line channels to adjust the goods.

There is no circulation between goods, and consumers cannot shop more efficiently. If they are in the physical store to find a clothing but not the right size, you must go online to search, purchase, rather than in the shop by the shop assistant to help line up the goods or purchase, virtually again for the final purchase of the completion of a new obstacle. This has caused poor consumer experience at the same time, but also affected the establishment of brand customer base.

Hope Consulting Co., Ltd. founder Luebbe in a relevant "brand line under the convergence Trend" forum, for the consumer loyalty is not high brand, people go shopping when a shop clothing does not have the right size, he is likely to buy in the next store. But if the store has a computer that can provide more online options, there is a chance to keep the customer, rather than getting him to a competitor.

Channels and platforms, "online" role of the domestic and foreign

At home, this kind of fragmentation phenomenon is very common, and domestic enterprises on the online electric business platform of understanding. In recent years, the Internet economy in the tide, the establishment of a business shop, network flagship store and other ways to become a lot of enterprises embrace the Internet the first step. But in the ensuing operations, we found that "online" was just seen as a new sales channel brought about by Internet technology. Online stores are also just a tool for capturing online market share. In addition to a part of the line under the same price of goods, online more is the price of relatively preferential network customization or brand new brands, and a part of the sale of the season under the line of goods. The reason they do this is simple, online channels to expand sales, while not to the offline brand sales impact. Therefore, the line offline under each other independent, it is what some enterprises want.

In foreign countries, the situation is completely different. Similar to the domestic O2O, "full channel retail" with the Internet, especially the development of mobile Internet, in foreign countries. The whole channel retail is refers to, the enterprise takes the consumer as the center, the conformity entity, the electricity merchant as well as the mobile electric business channel sells the goods or the service, provides the consumer to provide the undifferentiated shopping experience. The essence of it is that the network and online only help enterprises realize the seamless docking of a platform, the ultimate goal is to service consumers through integration.

Macy's in the United States is seen as a more successful case, even as it is attributed to its "full channel" strategy to get out of the trough of the financial crisis. Macy's "full channel" approach is not complicated. This includes both the most basic delivery of goods between different channels, as well as the push of relevant information, such as product details, promotional offers and evaluations based on positioning services and personal preferences. There are also intelligent applications based on mobile internet. The idea is that it is not important to choose which channel, and it is important to choose the Macy's brand.

If Macy's is very far away from us, then we can look at the famous fast fashion brand Zara which has already entered China. In Zara's China official online shopping mall, whether to take goods or exchange, can choose the entity store and express service two ways. Because of its store on the new and shipments are very fast, network platform can effectively meet the store update speed of consumer demand.

The difficult problem to be solved in O2O fusion

As early as last year, "Double 11" before, there is news that the cat executives said its O2O to achieve line online inventory consistent, online shopping can be offline shop to take goods, replacement. Consumers can first go to participate in promotional brand shop fitting, and then by scanning the code and other means to focus on commodities, such as activities on the day 50 percent orders. This year's "Double 11" curtain has fallen, in addition to the very individual brands, the realization of a similar vision is still far away.

Domestic retail line under the integration of the embarrassment, and domestic enterprises commonly adopted retail model has a close relationship.

In foreign countries, the "whole channel" mode can be popular because of the high proportion of proprietary mode in the Foreign department stores, the management of goods and supply chain can be more rapid, direct and effective. However, in China, the joint-venture model or the pure site leasing, which is adopted by the department stores, leads to a very loose relationship with the goods, and it is difficult to realize the trans-channel co-ordination. Most of the domestic retail enterprises from the supermarket commodity began to dabble in the electricity quotient, also from the side to prove this point. Because most supermarkets are the self-employed part of the retail business.

Concrete to production enterprises, the same reason. Zara mentioned above, its retail outlets are all direct shops, so easy to control. However, in China, the production enterprises in different regions will be with different agents or distributors, while the entity stores have both direct shop and franchise stores, electric business may be outsourced to another professional operators. If we want to get through all channels, we must involve cooperation among the parties and the distribution of benefits.

Given that domestic O2O integration is still in its infancy, it may be helpful to deal with it in a simplified manner. Clothing brand Philippines A responsible person in the "brand line under the convergence Trend" forum has mentioned that a city does not need all stores support line under the integration services, as long as the selection of several well-equipped shops, and then a wider range of radiation can be. This practice may have some referential significance.

In addition, the consumption habits of domestic consumers are another impediment to integration. Online dealers are more viewed as a choice to receive discounted goods than as a way to get more easily. Line online with the same price is a prerequisite for O2O fusion, but at this stage, if there is no obvious price advantage on the line, its ability to attract consumers will be greatly weakened.