The link between brand loyalty and omnichannel sales

The buying cycle is evolving, and innovative brands are evolving with it – towards year-round, omnichannel sales driven by relationships. According to NuORDER’s trade show report, “Beyond the Booth” orders outside of trade shows now drive comparable levels of investment from brands, in large part because of changing customer expectations.

As a result, brands have more options than ever to connect with great-fit retailers by using the right strategies.

The power of wholesale in an omnichannel world

Wholesale touchpoints are now more fluid and incorporate both digital and offline communications. In this new environment, both brick-and-mortar and digital channels are relevant, since today’s buyer journeys often feature an interplay of different channels. With retailers now free to engage with brands on their own terms, wholesale offers enduring value for brand profitability

Wholesale helps provide balance for brands managing rising DTC costs – one example of why previously DTC-first brands such as facecare company Loops and shoe brand Allbirds have recently adopted wholesale channels.

Channels' varying strengths and weaknesses make it an excellent idea to discover the unique mix that works best for your brand.

Customer loyalty and omnichannel sales

As BCG noted, today’s buyers increasingly expect higher levels of personalization than ever – the days of brands creating undifferentiated rewards programs and being rewarded with loyalty are gone. To stand out, savvy brands are using data to drive deep customization and entice customers with unique offers.

Wholesale, like DTC, doesn’t typically reward brands trying to be all things for all people. Brands can demonstrate their relevance through inspiring customer stories and using bespoke offers that build loyalty. According to data from McKinsey, 71% of customers assume they’ll receive personalized brand offers and a full 76% are willing to switch brands for a better experience. Brands can partner with retailers offering a variety of retail experiences that are executing a myriad of ways to strengthen customer loyalty to gain additional loyalty from customers in the process.

Today, retailers are getting increasingly savvy about the ways in which they serve customers and where they make those interactions. Partnering with the right retailers can mean catering the desires and preferences with hyper-local shoppers who might be your ideal customers or seeing a curation of your bestsellers hit center stage at an experiential activation like a tech-supported pop-up shop going viral on social media. The possibilities are endless — and that’s why it’s also important to think about the power of omnichannel experiences in terms of the omnichannel strategies of your valued retail partners. It’s a powerful approach in today’s wholesale market.