Hello everyone, I'm Aude Vicaire, and I welcome you to "Instant Payment."
UNIFIED COMMERCE, OMNICHANNEL, MULTICHANNEL
Today, I will talk about unified commerce. What is this new buzzword that comes after the term "multichannel"? A term that itself has been dethroned for several years by "omnichannel," which often turned out to be more of a buzzword than a tangible reality for most merchants. So, what are the differences between these concepts, if any? What is the goal of unified commerce, and how can it enhance the customer shopping experience?
To start, let's provide a few simple definitions related to commerce, not just payment. Firstly, "multichannel" is the initial step; it involves interacting with customers through multiple channels. For example, brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce, phone, etc., without necessarily connecting them together.
Next is "omnichannel," which involves connecting these channels together to provide a unified customer experience, making it consistent. This allows a customer to buy online, get refunded in a physical store, and facilitates inventory management for the merchant.
So, what about "unified commerce"? Well, it complements the omnichannel strategy. It's a more evolved form, so to speak. It unifies all sales channels, communication channels, and inventory within a single platform. It's no longer just about unifying the front end while hiding back-office difficulties. Here, the goal is to centralize and consolidate real-time data from all systems.
PAYMENT: A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF UNIFIED COMMERCE
And payment, concretely, is a critical component of unified commerce. Whether it's online payment, in-store payment, or even sending a secure remote payment link, regardless of the chosen payment method - card, wallet, simplified bank transfer - the merchant benefits from real-time information consolidation, optimized refund capabilities, and enhanced financial management.
For instance, a merchant can facilitate new purchasing journeys, strengthen customer loyalty, or streamline operations by eliminating technical constraints. However, achieving this requires a genuine unification of payment systems and data. The mere juxtaposition of solutions has its limits and doesn't provide these benefits to merchants.
Consumers nowadays have diverse interactions throughout their buying journey. For instance, they might visit a store, want to order an item they saw but wasn't available in their preferred color, choose to have it delivered, and end up buying an accessory. The merchant also gains real-time access to data about customer returns, refund requests, orders, stocks, etc., allowing for better store management.
For your unified commerce strategy, Market Pay's unified payment platform brings this payment unity along with reporting that centralizes, tracks in real-time, and analyzes all transaction data across sales channels. This applies to all Market Pay's e-commerce and in-store payment solutions.
And there you have it, "Instant Payment" concludes.
Next month, I'll discuss the aviation sector and its payment-specificities.
Until then, feel free to share your thoughts on unified commerce in the comments, and for more information about Market Pay and our products, visit our website and follow us on social media.
See you soon!
