This holiday season, there’s no either/or for online and in-store sales
 
Bain & Company finds that more consumers are making purchases through multiple channels from the same retailer: Web sites, mail-order catalogs and physical stores. “Multichannel” shopping is growing as companies learn to give consumers what they want through the channels they prefer.
 
Online sales will set new records this holiday season. Catalogs also play an important role. Our research has found that customers who shop both online and in stores spend almost 50% more with a retailer than those who shop only one of those channels. By year’s end over 75 million people will have shopped online. The opportunity for retailers is huge.Heading into the holiday season, Bain is already seeing several examples of smart multi-channel strategies. 
o    Crate & Barrel has an interactive version of its holiday catalog on its Web site;
o    Williams-Sonoma developed a catalog featuring gift merchandise for corporate buyers;
o    90% of what is available on Nordstrom.com is also found in stores;
o    Lands’ End targets younger customers online while its catalogs target its more traditional customer base; and
o    Neiman Marcus’s Web site emphasizes products that consumers will purchase online, such as items for the home and cosmetics. Its physical stores focus more on “try-before-you-buy” products like clothing and shoes.
 
Unfortunately, our research also shows that only one in three retailers have succeeded when expanding into new channels. The winners have adjusted both merchandise and services to fit shoppers in each channel. They also provide a consistent experience across channels and have adjusted their supply chains (from sourcing through fulfillment), to get goods more quickly into consumers’ hands.