The 7 Levers Retail Leaders Use to Unify Inventory, Customer Journeys… and Reclaim Their Margins

OMS, Click & Collect, Marketplace… Discover How Retail Leaders Unify Inventory & Customer Journeys

In a sector where margins are melting like snow in the sun, where e-commerce giants dictate their terms, and where consumers demand increasingly seamless experiences, retailers face an existential challenge. I observe this reality daily: those who will survive aren’t the ones chasing Amazon, but those reinventing their model by unifying their inventory and customer journeys.

The End of Silos: Why Retail Leaders Bet on Inventory Unification

OMS: The Logistical Brain Behind a Seamless Customer Experience

Let’s face it: for years, we’ve lived with fragmented information systems—e-commerce inventory on one side, store inventory on the other, not to mention warehouses operating in isolation. That era is over. The Order Management System (OMS) has become the backbone of successful retail operations.

Specifically, an OMS centralizes all inventory information in real-time, regardless of physical location. When a customer orders a product online, the system instantly identifies the most relevant source for that item: central warehouse, store near the customer, or even supplier via dropshipping. This unified vision changes everything.

• Decathlon deployed an OMS across its entire network, resulting in a 42% reduction in stock shortages perceived by customers and a 23% increase in online conversion rate.
• According to Gartner (2024), 87% of retailers who have adopted an OMS report a significant reduction in stock shortages.

The challenge isn’t simply technological—it’s strategic. A high-performing OMS transforms each store into a mini-logistics hub, optimizing the use of retail space while accelerating delivery times. It’s the first step toward true inventory unification.

Click & Collect, Ship-from-Store, E-Reservation: The New Standards of Omnichannel

“I want to buy online and pick up in-store.” “I want to see the product in the store but have it delivered to my home.” “I’d like to reserve this product before coming in.” These requests, once exceptional, have become the norm.

According to McKinsey (2024), 72% of consumers now want to choose where and when to collect their purchases.

• Click & Collect has exploded since the pandemic, growing 107% between 2019 and 2023 (Kantar).
• The most advanced retailers go further by deploying ship-from-store strategies, transforming stores into genuine distribution centers.

Sephora implemented a model where 70% of its e-commerce orders are prepared directly in-store, reducing delivery time by 1.8 days on average, logistics costs by 30%, and achieving a 14% increase in store traffic thanks to pickups triggering supplementary purchases.

E-reservation addresses a fundamental need: ensuring product availability before the trip. At Wishibam, 68% of e-reservations convert to actual purchases, compared to only 23% of traditional store visits. The reason? The customer arrives with a formalized purchase intention.

These new standards aren’t marketing gimmicks. They respond to a profound evolution in purchasing behaviors and allow retailers to maximize the use of their physical assets while offering a seamless customer experience.

Marketplace and Sovereign Digitalization: Reclaiming Control of the Customer Relationship

Why Proprietary Marketplaces Are Booming in 2024

For years, retailers have ceded ground to giants like Amazon or Alibaba, sacrificing their margins (commissions of 15-40%) and especially their customer data on the altar of audience. Today, the tide is turning. Proprietary marketplaces are experiencing explosive growth: +35% in Europe according to Forrester (2024).

• Data sovereignty: With a proprietary marketplace, the retailer maintains full control of the customer relationship and data.
• Experience control: Retailers can curate every aspect of the customer journey without being lost among thousands of other sellers.
• Margin protection: By creating their own ecosystem, retailers regain control over their economics, escaping high platform commissions.

Carrefour’s marketplace now generates 15% of its e-commerce revenue; Leroy Merlin’s marketplace represents 20% of online sales. But caution: success only comes to those who rethink their model as an ecosystem with value for all actors—retailers, brands, and customers.

The Wishibam Example: An Omnichannel Marketplace Serving Territories

At Wishibam, we’ve observed that retailers possess significant assets—physical presence, product expertise, territorial anchoring—but often struggle to leverage them digitally. Our approach: create omnichannel marketplaces that build on these strengths.

• Centralized OMS for unified inventory
• Shared click & collect and delivery tools
• Single customer interface, whatever the back-office complexity

This approach enables retailers of all sizes to create a sovereign digital ecosystem, tailored to their unique context and territory—independent of the e-commerce giants.

Unifying Customer Journeys: The Key to Loyalty in a Post-Cookie World

From Unified Data to Personalized Experience

The post-cookie era challenges retailers: How to personalize the experience without third-party digital trackers? The answer: unify all online and offline data touchpoints.

Accenture (2024): 80% of consumers buy more from brands offering personalization. This can now only be based on a 360° customer view—combining in-store and online purchases, delivery preferences, and more.

• Sephora’s Beauty Insider: Online and offline interactions combine to power a personalized experience and strengthen loyalty. All customer data sources are unified in real time.
• Store associates instantly access a customer’s history to give useful advice, both online and in-person.

This is not just a marketing advantage—it’s a business lever: brands who unify data see a 23% rise in customer lifetime value (BCG, 2023).

Towards a More Human, Local, and Agile Retail

Today, leaders don’t aim to clone Amazon but to amplify what makes them unique: the human touch, local roots, and agility.

• Decathlon offers live video advice with in-store experts to humanize the digital experience.
• Monoprix transforms stores into rapid delivery hubs for “Monop’30,” leveraging proximity and reducing reliance on inflexible logistics models.

Sovereign omnichannel isn’t just a technical response. It’s a strategic vision that enables retailers to reclaim their digital destiny, building on their intrinsic strengths instead of imitating ill-suited models.

This approach helps address sustainability too. Ship-from-store methods, for instance, can reduce e-commerce logistics CO₂ emissions by up to 35% (Bain & Company).

Conclusion: Unification as the Engine of Retail Renaissance

Unifying inventory and customer journeys is a vital necessity for retailers in a hyper-competitive landscape. Leaders deploy bold strategies to transform every touchpoint into a sales opportunity and every square meter into a source of growth.

FAQ: Understanding Inventory and Customer Journey Unification

By Charlotte Journo-Baur, founder of WISHIBAM and recognized as among the top 0.1% most influential retail experts in Europe.