Introduction: Before fully understanding e-commerce, omnichannel was introduced; before omnichannel was implemented, with no methods, tools, or operational paradigms, new retail has now arrived! Some merchants say: "My goodness, I'm just an ordinary supplier who wants to sell my own products. I can't keep up with all these twists and turns. With so many concepts, I bet you're confused too, right?!" Indeed! Everyone is confused now! What's Wrong with Traditional Channels? First, let all agents, distributors, dealers, stores, and small retail shops under traditional channels ask themselves: The consumer goods circulation and retail industry has existed for decades. What's wrong with traditional channels now? Yes! It's true that consumers' purchasing concepts, behaviors, and habits have changed somewhat. It's true that B2B e-commerce is snatching business from traditional agents and distributors. It's true that small shop owners at retail terminals have installed apps on their phones for placing orders. It's true that some large malls in the KA channel have closed, and many that remain open can be described as deserted. But, I ask, what does this represent? Will traditional distribution and retail be disrupted? Does it mean traditional channels are doomed? Does it mean we must move toward omnichannel and align with new retail? Traditional Channels Will Still Exist! Traditional channels are still here! And they will exist for a long time! Don't you see that consumers' needs for convenience, safety, proximity, and immediacy still exist? Don't you see that B2B e-commerce platforms are barely making money now, and their future is highly uncertain? If terminal stores have installed various apps, unless upstream merchants are grabbing market share with low prices, what's the difference from your original phone orders, current WeChat message orders, or salespeople visiting stores to take orders? Large malls in KA are closing, but haven't you noticed that convenience stores are still growing rapidly? In fact, the existence of traditional channels is not only a national commercial project and a corporate performance project, but also a livelihood project with ample employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. They cannot be replaced by the advancement of mobile internet. Moreover, it's a very long-term willingness project: "I'm just an ordinary person, I make a living from this, I don't need such transformation, I'll just do a small business and not fuss around!" What Is Omnichannel? If you ask what omnichannel is, they'll immediately answer: Omnichannel is online and offline! But do you remember Coca-Cola's 22 channels? Isn't that the omnichannel of the non-internet era? And recently, there seems to be a 2017 version of the consumer goods three-tier with over 200 channel terminals! But I ask: Even in the non-internet era, how many companies achieved omnichannel like Coca-Cola? Can you even do well with the over 200 offline channel terminals mentioned now? So why do you need online and offline omnichannel? Online is so changeable, traffic is hard to acquire and the dividend period is over. Creating your own content tests the company's capabilities, and even if you do well, you need to hire professionals or outsource, which doesn't reduce costs. Isn't this misleading? Widespread Anxiety About Channels Let's look at the definition of omnichannel: Omnichannel means that to meet consumers' needs to purchase at any time, any place, and in any way, companies integrate physical channels, e-commerce channels, and mobile e-commerce channels to sell products or services, providing customers with a seamless shopping experience. Physical channel types include: self-operated physical stores, franchise physical stores, electronic shelves, cross-industry alliances, etc.; E-commerce channel types include: self-built official B2C malls, entering e-commerce platforms such as Taobao stores, Tmall stores, Paipai stores, QQ Mall stores, JD stores, Suning stores, Amazon stores, etc.; Mobile commerce channel types include: self-built official mobile malls, self-built APP malls, micro malls, entering mobile commerce platforms such as Weitao stores, etc. ...... Ask yourself: Which company has the strength to implement all the above omnichannel strategies and do them well? Moreover, it's obvious that non-mobile e-commerce channels like self-built official B2C malls, Paipai stores, QQ Mall stores, etc., and mobile commerce channels like self-built APP malls—Paipai has already ceased service, and self-built APP malls can hardly attract traffic anymore... Those who proposed omnichannel seem somewhat irresponsible! Is this a trap for retailers and enterprises? Of course, in the final analysis, this is mainly due to the infinite anxiety of retailers and enterprises facing the internet wave, not knowing where incremental growth will come from, while existing business declines day by day, forcing them to worry about development. Even Alibaba and JD.com, which have reaped the biggest e-commerce dividends, are also anxious, so they are penetrating offline and integrating online and offline. From this perspective, finding your own ways, methods, and tools for online-offline integration, and seeing if you can carve out your own path of online-offline combination, is the most important thing in channel construction! From Omnichannel to New Retail I just heard a term, whether summarized by Alibaba or someone outside: Ma Yun's new retail concept - the future omnichannel terminal. It seems Alibaba treats the combination of online and offline as omnichannel? In fact, isn't Ma Yun's new retail just the combination of online platforms and offline stores? Can his retail involve TV shopping and global distribution across the national landscape? How does his retail handle non-standardized supply and demand outside stores? If you do his kind of omnichannel new retail, then your:

  1. Group buying—are you giving it up?
  2. TV shopping—are you giving it up?
  3. The nearly 7 million small convenience stores nationwide—are you giving up that market?
  4. As a company, you need a reservoir to ease performance pressure—how do you solve that?
  5. The financial liquidity provided by original intermediate channels—how do you solve that?
  6. Your orders cannot be fulfilled through online social tools—how do you solve that? ...... So, Ma Yun's omnichannel new retail is not only not omnichannel, but it clears away some of your original channels, and new retail seems to be basically store retail. His omnichannel and new retail, for you, are not only a basis for expanding space and finding increments, but also a way to destroy your roots and further reduce your existing business! Mature channels are abandoned, and who knows how much new retail can achieve? Even if it works, will you fall into Alibaba's money trap like Taobao? So, omnichannel and new retail, at least for now, seem to be concepts used to fool people! Of course, we don't rule out that some retailers will align with omnichannel in the future, and some industries may achieve success in new retail. But for business owners who deeply study channels or need to achieve performance through channels, at most, they can only think boldly, verify carefully, and take it step by step! We Do Omnichannel, But We Don't Do Omnichannel In fact, for enterprises, the goal is refined channel operation, like Coca-Cola, making products available everywhere. But even Coca-Cola's century-old dream hasn't been fully realized! For ordinary enterprises, facing such conceptual confusion, it's better to leverage your advantageous channels! As for optimizing business operations, don't do the so-called online and offline omnichannel; that's just a retail concept. If you forget and abandon distribution channels, your performance will definitely decline! Distribution channels contain important resources and capabilities in your product circulation process! Additionally, online social e-commerce, micro-commerce, self-built malls, platform malls, entering large platforms, etc., still have many pitfalls. Find a channel that you are determined to do, or that you feel and predict will improve your effectiveness, efficiency, and benefits or is a trend. Only then can you avoid not only failing to overtake on the curve but also crashing out of the race! Business is profound and extensive. Keep an open mind, and for heaven's sake, don't be fooled and confused!!! Introduction: Tan Changchun, determined to sell any product as a fast-moving consumer good. General Manager of Huaxia Jishi Marketing Consulting Company, Group Chief Consultant, Special Expert Consultant of Kotler Consulting Group, Project Director of TNS Market Research Consulting Company. Founder of Integrated Marketing System. Well-known marketing expert and trainer;特邀讲师 for China Marketing Director Qualification Exam, and特聘讲师 for "Frontier Lectures". Weibo: http://weibo.com/1159426107. WeChat Official Account: chnstone1. China Sales Force: http://t.cn/RtRxd99 -END-