The first omnichannel benchmark for Switzerland

Consumers are increasingly digital and do more and more research on the Internet before making a planned purchase. Omnichannel retailing thus opens up huge potential for customer acquisition and retention. The new study "Omnichannel Readiness Index Switzerland" examines how well domestic retailers are prepared for this reality.

In cooperation, SAAM, Google Switzerland and the market research institute MindTake are today publishing a comprehensive study that for the first time compares the most important retailers in Switzerland across all sectors according to their omnichannel maturity. Around 100 individual criteria were used to examine how well the channels of the big players in Swiss retailing are interlinked. "We see omnichannel as an opportunity to win and retain consumers, online and stationary. With this study - the ORI Index - we want to give Swiss retailers a tool to seize this opportunity," says Saskia Tönnesmann, Industry Manager at Google Switzerland. Petra Kacnik-Süss, CEO MindTake, adds: "We have developed a benchmark, a guide and roadmap with concrete recommendations for future developments and investments - for the entire Swiss retail landscape."

An unusual feature of the study design was the 360-degree perspective achieved by combining different survey techniques. In addition to desk research and a retailer survey, 1,000 consumers were asked how important the respective factors are to them. The assessments were incorporated into the index - so it was not just the presence of omnichannel features that was rewarded, but also the provision of services that are valuable to consumers.

VSV President Patrick Kessler gives the Swiss retail trade a generally positive omnichannel assessment: "A somewhat surprising finding of the study - the DIY sector with the representatives Coop Bau+Hobby, Hornbach, Migros Do it + Garden and Jumbo achieves the best sector average value with an average of 73.4 percent. The jewelry & watches sector (73 percent) and department stores (72.6 percent) follow.

Around three quarters of Swiss consumers would like to see the availability of a product displayed in the online store. This is already offered by almost 60 percent of retailers. Customers also want a filter function according to product availability in the store, but only one retailer offers this.

There is also a surprising finding with regard to contact options for customers: A callback option by telephone is desirable for almost half of the customers; only two retailers currently offer this. Only about half of the retailers offer their potential customers an e-mail address for communication - although around four fifths of consumers would like to have such a contact option by e-mail.

The study shows that the options "Click & Collect" (online purchase with in-store pickup) and "Reserve & Collect" (online reservation with in-store pickup) are in almost equal demand from customers. While "Click & Collect" is already offered by over 80 percent of retailers, "Reserve & Collect" still shows some potential, as this option is only offered by a good third of retailers.

The study shows that retailers can score particularly well with consumers if they can meet the now very high expectations regarding free delivery and additionally a precise delivery window. Every second Swiss customer already expects a precise time as a delivery date, but only three retailers offer this promise.

However, one of the greatest potentials lies in organizational implementation. More than half of companies (54 percent) still separate e-commerce and brick-and-mortar sales through separate sales organizations. "In order to efficiently align employees and corporate culture with omnichannel, discard silo thinking and make the most of synergies, existing structures must be broken up and areas of responsibility redistributed," says Saskia Tönnesmann, Industry Manager at Google Switzerland.