How Unified Communications Benefits Retail Businesses

A study conducted by Microsoft found that 83% of consumers expect retailers to offer an omnichannel shopping experience through in-store, online, mobile, and social media channels. Unified communications provide retailers with the ability to meet customer expectations by integrating all channels into one platform so customers can switch between channels without having to start their shopping journey from scratch each time.  

Another study found that businesses using UC solutions saw a marked improvement in employee collaboration, a 25% improvement in decision-making, and a 20% decrease in email usage. UC solutions provide employees with the ability to connect with each other instantly, collaborate effectively, and share information seamlessly, in order to get orders closed on often tight timelines.  

One of the biggest benefits of UC for retail organizations is the cost savings that can be achieved by consolidating multiple communication tools into one platform. A report by Nemertes Research found that businesses using UC solutions save an average of $3400 per user per year and 74% of businesses who adopted UC solutions achieved a return on their investment within 12 months.  
 
The retail industry is extremely competitive and only those retailers who can deliver a superior customer experience will survive. Unified communications play a vital role in helping retailers achieve this goal by unifying communications systems and providing real-time collaboration between different departments within an organization. In addition to delighting customers, UC helps improve a retailer's bottom line by reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and optimizing the supply chain.