Proposal Essay: Analyzing and Proposing an Omnichannel Retail Strategy

This proposal essay addresses the evolving landscape of retail, particularly within the grocery sector, and the increasing need for an omnichannel approach. The essay highlights the growing popularity of online shopping and the challenges faced by traditional brick-and-mortar stores, such as long checkout lines and limited convenience. It proposes that retail grocery chains adopt a semi-online and semi-brick-and-mortar system, leveraging technology to enhance the customer experience. The essay analyzes the advantages of omnichannel systems, such as providing customers with greater convenience, access to product information, and personalized shopping experiences. Examples like Amazon Go Grocery and Starbucks are used to illustrate successful omnichannel implementations. The essay also emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing customer needs and demands, as well as the use of feedback to improve the omnichannel strategy. The essay concludes by advocating for the integration of both online and offline channels to create a seamless and satisfying shopping experience for customers.

Running head: PROPOSAL ESSAY
PROPOSAL ESSAY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

2PROPOSAL ESSAY
There is a debate going on around the advantages that people get in their shopping through
online shops or the brick and mortar outlets. However, there are different opinions put forward
by different people over this aspect. The online channels are reducing the demand of the offline
or the brick or mortar stores. It can be said that to survive in the modern-day competitive market
the retail grocery chains have to opt for a semi online and semi brick and mortar system that is
they will have to opt for the Omnichannel system.
In this modern-day scenario, all the individuals are looking for comfort in their day to day lives.
All of them have a very busy schedule. To balance their professional and their personal lives,
they must always get their shopping done in a very easy and convenient way (Amankwah-
Amoah, 2017). It is for this reason that the customers are looking for online shopping systems as
they get the catalogs for checking the products that are available and also they are looking for
some discounts and others.
It is for this reason that the popularity of the online stores is increasing., people can carry on
shopping at any point of time and also collect the goods at their desired time and location. For
example, Amazon has become one of the major online stores that are used by many customers on
a day to day basis. However, it is also said that customers shopping mainly for groceries usually
like traditional stores like Aldi. However, they often face the issue of standing on a very long
line and also the speed at the checkout process. It is due to all these reasons that many of the
customers are switching over to the online stores (Weisbaum, 2020).
Due to all these mixed reactions, the retail stores must try to opt for the omnichannel system.
This will enable them to use the mixed system where they can retain the features of both their
online and also their brick and mortar stores. Aldi is trying to use many different technological

3PROPOSAL ESSAY
upgradations in their brick and mortar stores so that they can give a better experience to the
customers. One good example can be the click and make option (Gao & Su, 2017)). This is
because using this option will be helping the customers to get the experience of a brick and
mortar store but at the same time they will also be able to understand the availability of the
products by using the online applications. This will naturally save their time and will also help
them to get a very good and also a comfortable shopping experience (Virgillito, 2017).
However, these technologies are still a long way to go and they have to make sure that regular
feedbacks are also being taken from the customers so that they get to know if the customers are
being benefitted or not. One of the good advantages of the omnichannel can be that the
customers can be given a very good example of the omnichannel store is the Starbucks, They
have developed both online tire and also the brick and mortar store. However the customers can
get the experience of coming into the brick and mortar outlets but at the same time, they can
check the recent offers, discounts and also adjustments being made to their balances in their
mobile applications. In other words, they get the proper real-time updates in their mobile
applications and at the same time, they also get the taste of the online stress. In the same way,
Amazon is also trying to opt for the omnichannel retail grocery system so that it can give both
kinds of experiences and satisfaction to the customers (Trout, 2017).
Departmental stores and discount stores are also developing at large and customers are always
looking for some extra benefits. Therefore they might prefer shipping from the physical
department stores but at the same time, they also face issues like the poor cheek put speed and
others. Therefore to solve these issues, online stores like Amazon are an option for the

4PROPOSAL ESSAY
omnichannel system. They also launched the first Amazon-branded grocery store, named
cashier-less Amazon Go Grocery, in Seattle. Therefore it can be said that Amazon is trying their
level best to bring in all the possible efforts that will suffice the changes or the shifts that are
coming in the customer needs and demands.
The fashion store is also one such sector that must try to opt for online sales. Timberland is a
good example of fashion retail that is developing all the omnichannel system for giving the best
and the most comfortable shipping experience to the customers.

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References
Amankwah-Amoah, J. (2017). Global consolidation of industries and business failures: insights
from brick-and-mortar and online outlets.Munich Personal RePEc Archive, pp. 1-
22.mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/82509/
Gao, F., & Su, X. (2017). Online and offline information for omnichannel
retailing. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 19(1), 84-98.
Hübner, A., Kuhn, H., Wollenburg, J., &Trautrims, A. (2018). From bricks-and-mortar to bricks-
and-clicks–logistics networks in omni-channel grocery retailing. Empirical Studies in
Multi-Channel and Omni-Channel Retail Operations and Logistics, pp.
2-24.doi.org/10.1108/IJPDLM-10-2016-0290
Trout, J. (2017). multichannelmerchant.com. Multichannel Merchant.
https://multichannelmerchant.com/must-reads/5-excellent-examples-omnichannel-
retailing-done-right/
Virgillito, D. (2017). shopify.com. shopify.com. https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/10-
examples-of-outstanding-omnichannel-brands
Weisbaum, H. (2020). nbcnews.com. NBC News.
https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/these-are-america-s-favorite-online-brick-
mortar-stores-yours-ncna1148476