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Endless Aisle for Retail Brands: Deploying an Omnichannel Strategy For Your Stores

Posted by Julia Morrissey on Jan 30, 2024

The name of the game in retail today is omnichannel, and endless aisle is a key piece to any omnichannel offering. It’s critical to create an incredible and unified shopping experience for your customers regardless of whether they’re online or offline.

Every retail brand on the planet is either trying to optimize their current systems, and they’re actively taking strides toward purchasing or rolling out a complete–and associate friendly–omnichannel offering.

Keep reading to learn how an endless aisle omnichannel strategy can support your omnichannel retail brand.

What Is Endless Aisle?

Endless aisle is a term for ordering out of stock or unavailable items for in-store customers. Retail brands can increase sales and customer satisfaction by enabling store associates to fulfill orders for items at other store locations or distribution centers.

Given the convenience and business benefits, you’d think that this would be more prevalent amongst retail brands. However, in NewStore’s 2023 annual research report we found that only 54% of brands offer endless aisle and 31% show store inventory availability online.

Example of how a retail brand can use endless aisle

Consider this. A customer visits a ski store seeking a specific model of ski boots. Finding the desired size and color are unavailable in-store, a sales associate uses a point of sale device to access the endless aisle.

The digital catalog showcases the entire ski product range, enabling the customer to order the exact boots they want. The associate then processes the order, and the customer opts for home delivery. Endless aisle saves the sale and satisfies the customer, while optimizing inventory management.

Let’s take a deeper dive into why it’s important that omnichannel-aspiring retail brands look to roll out endless aisle capabilities.

What Are the Benefits of Endless Aisle?

Endless aisle offers several benefits that positively impact both retail brands and customers. Below are some key advantages.

Omnichannel shopping cart

One of the biggest advantages retail brands have when they’re a fully functioning omnichannel retail business is the elimination of technological and informational silos. An omnichannel shopping cart eliminates the barriers between in-store and online transactions and provides a single view of the customer, order, and product. It also provides customers with the ability to begin their shopping journey from anywhere, online or in-store.

Operationally, this is a massive advantage because it doesn’t matter if it’s the customer or store associate who adds products to the shopping cart. Either way the transaction will include additional products purchased in-store as well as from other fulfillment locations in the event of an endless aisle transaction.

Increased inventory visibility

Endless aisle ensures that store associates can acquire any out-of-stock items, regardless of location. How? Real-time inventory visibility into the organization’s entire product catalog. With endless aisle, store associates have access to accurate–and real-time–inventory and the visibility to coordinate convenient and speedy delivery for purchases made on the store floor.

While inventory lookup can happen at a traditional point of sale or digital kiosk, store associates armed with mobile devices are able to see inventory levels instantly without leaving the customer’s side, which provides for a more personalized shopping experience.

Save the sale & drive customer satisfaction

A customer must know immediately that they can still acquire an out-of-stock item through your company, otherwise that sale is almost always lost. With endless aisle you never have to worry about a customer leaving your store empty handed and disappointed–every product, color, and size is accessible and ready for purchase. Saving the sale helps retail brands deliver a better shopping experience and elevate in-store sales.

Increased sales 

The quality of the shopping experience today is the ultimate measuring stick for consumers dictating where and, more importantly, how often they spend their money. Retail brands must find ways to win customers and keep them coming back to stay profitable.

Endless aisle helps associates prevent lost sales and, coupled with the ability to access a customer’s profile / omnichannel shopping cart, opens the door for cross-sell and up-sell opportunities.

Brands can leverage endless aisle to increase their profit margins by maintaining the markup for products by selling the available inventory, regardless of location.

For retail brands that have adopted an endless aisle strategy, the endless aisle accounts for up to 10% of their revenue, according to a report by Forrester Research. This is a mix of increased sales along with increased customer loyalty due to their integrated online presence.

With the ability to combine in-store and endless aisle purchases into a single transaction, store associates are able to increase sales totals instantly.

Reduce physical space requirements

With the ability to showcase an extended product range digitally, retail brands can minimize the need for extensive physical shelf space. This reduction in physical space for merchandise allows for more flexible and efficient use of store space. Stores can be smaller or designed to be more open and inviting spaces for customers. Freed-up space can be used for high-impact displays, promotional areas, or even additional services that enhance the overall customer journey.

Less physical space requirements can also cut costs and help retail brands align with sustainable practices. Smaller store footprints contribute to lower energy consumption, decreased environmental impact, and a positive brand image associated with corporate responsibility.

Lower inventory costs

Endless aisle enables retail brands to optimize their inventory with real-time insights into customer preferences and market trends. By efficiently leveraging data analytics, retail brands can prevent overstocking and stockouts, maintaining precise inventory levels. The digital storefront allows for dynamic adjustments, reducing holding times and minimizing associated warehousing costs.

Additionally, a more strategic product assortment, focusing on high-demand items, enhances profitability while lowering the risk of slow-moving inventory. Ultimately, the endless aisle approach empowers retail brands to align their stock with customer demands, fostering cost-effective inventory management.

What Are the Challenges to Implementing Endless Aisle?

One primary challenge to endless aisle involves replacing legacy technology, which can demand a significant investment in infrastructure and often requires brands to navigate complex technological landscapes.

A second challenge revolves around the accuracy and management of data. Maintaining up-to-date and accurate product information across various channels is a complex task. Inaccuracies can result in customer dissatisfaction and adversely impact the overall shopping experience. Omnicahnnel brands must establish robust data management processes to mitigate these risks, emphasizing the importance of reliable information dissemination in both physical and digital settings.

Additionally, the operational logistics of an endless aisle strategy can pose a challenge. Coordinating fulfillment processes requires streamlined logistics to prevent delays and errors.

Endless Aisle for Your Retail Brand

While online retailers pose challenges for brick-and-mortar chains, there will always be a desire for physical locations where customers can make immediate purchases. However, relying solely on in-person sales is no longer sufficient. Endless aisle not only addresses current retail dynamics but positions your company strategically for sustained customer loyalty and prosperity in the evolving landscape. 

Embracing this approach ensures that your brand remains relevant, offering a seamless and comprehensive customer experience that aligns with contemporary expectations and secures a lasting presence in the future retail landscape.

Check out NewStore’s endless aisle omnichannel solution and start saving sales.

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