Omnichannel como estratégia de operações em empresas varejistas de Caxias do Sul

Abstract

The advent of the adoption of new technologies and the modernization of retail has increasingly impacted the purchase journey of consumers, and the importance of omnichannel as a differentiating factor on the part of retail companies in the frictionless purchase journey has gained even more relevance. However, the implementation of this new way of doing retail can be seen as a challenge for many retail companies that still struggle to consolidate themselves in a reality of operating their channels on a multichannel level or even separately. This research aims to assist the implementation of the omnichannel strategy in the operations of retail companies in the municipality of Caxias do Sul (in the State of Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil), enabling the creation of a competitive advantage for retail companies. Initially, a bibliometric search was carried out in international databases in order to know the relevance of the theme and possible gaps. In this study, an exploratory and qualitative field research is proposed, using as methodology the generic qualitative approach. For data collection, four managers of retail companies based in Caxias do Sul that work with multiple channels were interviewed using the Prado Model questionnaire and answered virtually the questionnaire in the U.S.Omnichannel Customer Experience Index (OcCEI) part of the Omni-channel Report Card study designed by IBM Commerce. The result of the maturity level assessment using the Prado Model resulted in two companies above the national average, and two other companies below the average. The result of the evaluation of the omnichannel strategy level using the U.S.Omnichannel Customer Experience Index (OcCEI) resulted in the four evaluated companies classified as innovative, reaching a benchmark of more than 70%. In addition, the main results of this study demonstrate that the high levels of maturity directly imply good results of the current omnichannel strategy of the companies surveyed, and that, of the seven areas evaluated that permeate the omnichannel, companies have, in their physical channels, the lowest performance, and in their social networks, the highest performance, results that are based on the benchmark of the evaluation tool adopted. Therefore, it is an opportunity to improve the experience of this important sales channel, the physical store. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]