Operations in an Omnichannel World: Introduction

Abstract

The world of retailing has changed dramatically in the past decade. Sales originating at online channels have been increasing an average 15% every year since 2010, and are expected to reach 25% of US retail sales by 2024. A much larger fraction of sales is affected by online channels in different touch points during the customer path to purchase. Omnichannel customers increasingly expect to be able to use a combination of channels in their interactions with retailers, and retailers are trying to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience across multiple touch points. This book presents state-of-the-art research in omnichannel retail from various contributing authors who are recognized field experts in this area. Readers will find a deep discussion of these issues through the lenses of operations management, emphasizing the changes in the marketing and operations interface associated with serving an omnichannel demand. This chapter serves as an introduction to the book and presents the structure of its three parts: “Omnichannel Business Models”, “Data-Driven Decisions in an Omnichannel World”, and “Case Studies in Omnichannel Retailing”.