It’s pretty evident that customers now expect a unified shopping experience across all channels — online, in-store, or a mix of both. Retailers are expected to offer integration between these touchpoints, from browsing and purchasing to returns and exchanges. However, meeting these demands requires a tech stack that is more than just a collection of individual tools.
Modern omnichannel retail strategy relies on a well-integrated tech stack that connects eCommerce, in-store operations, order fulfillment, inventory management, and returns. Without proper integration, retailers face inefficiencies such as inventory discrepancies, fragmented order management, and inconsistent customer experiences.
This blog presents an overview of the ‘Omnichannel Retail Stack of the Decade’ whitepaper, outlining the core systems required for implementing omnichannel retail strategy.
Download the whitepaper to get a deeper understanding of how the core systems work together to enable Ship From Store, BOPIS, warehouse fulfillment, in-store and online returns.
Core Systems to Scale Omnichannel Retail Strategy
Building an omnichannel retail technology stack to implement omnichannel retail strategy is no small feat. With an overwhelming number of options available, technology leaders often struggle to choose the right software solutions and integrate them effectively.
Even after selecting the right tech, getting them to work together requires careful planning. Data must flow smoothly between systems, which involves extensive strategizing, proof-of-concepts, and testing - often consuming time with uncertain results. The trial-and-error approach is costly and inefficient.
A successful omnichannel retail strategy depends on how well multiple systems integrate and exchange data. Drawing from our experience of working with leading retailers, we have identified a proven, scalable, and seamless tech stack that consistently drives success in omnichannel retailing.
This tech stack consists of four core platforms that work together to enable omnichannel retail strategies like Ship From Store, warehouse fulfillment, Buy Online Pick-Up In Store, store inventory management, and returns processing.
Shopify: eCommerce and POS Platform
Shopify serves as the eCommerce and point-of-sale (POS) platform where customers place online orders and make in-store purchases. It is the central point for managing product listings, pricing, customer orders, and payments. Shopify also integrates with Loop Returns to sync customer-initiated return requests. However, Shopify alone does not provide advanced order management, sellable inventory computation, in-store inventory management or online order fulfillment optimization, that’s why it needs to be paired with other systems.
NetSuite: ERP, Warehouse Fulfillment, Accounting
NetSuite is the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that manages financials, supply chain, and inventory across multiple stores and warehouses. NetSuite’s warehouse fulfillment module also helps in managing fulfillment of online orders. It tracks purchase orders, transfer orders, inventory adjustments and maintains financial transactions like customer deposits, refunds, credit memos and more. NetSuite is important for back-office operations for accurate accounting and real-time visibility into inventory and fulfillment from warehouses.
Loop Returns: Returns and Exchanges
Loop Returns simplifies online return requests by providing a customer-friendly interface for initiating returns. It communicates with Shopify and HotWax Commerce to handle return tracking, inventory restocking, and refund processing. The return data is also synced from Loop to NetSuite to maintain accurate GL posting.
HotWax Commerce: Omnichannel Order and Inventory Management
HotWax Commerce serves as the Order Management System (OMS) that helps retailers omnichannel with order and inventory management so that they can implement their omnichannel retail strategy. HotWax’s integrated iPaaS solution performs data synchronization between Shopify, NetSuite, and Loop Returns.
HotWax OMS calculates sellable inventory and syncs to Shopify. The OMS also intelligently routes orders to the best fulfillment locations and provides a store inventory management suite and automated return processing across systems (Loop and NetSuite) with its iPaaS.
Omnichannel Retail Strategies and Workflows
A well-integrated omnichannel tech stack enables retailers to maintain accurate data flow across Shopify, NetSuite, Loop and HotWax to achieve consistency in order processing, inventory management, fulfillment and returns management.
Instead of operating as isolated systems, each platform communicates to support key omnichannel retail strategies.
Order Fulfillment
Retailers can fulfill online orders from stores, warehouses, or distribution centers while keeping inventory data accurate across all locations. They can offer customers same-day BOPIS and same-day/next-day shipping with Ship From Store while also fulfilling bulk orders from primary fulfillment locations like warehouses.
Checkout the guide for Omnichannel Fulfillment with Shopify x HotWax x NetSuite
Store Inventory Management
Retailers can efficiently receive shipments, transfer stock between locations, and perform regular cycle counts to prevent discrepancies. Instead of relying solely on ERP systems that may not be store-friendly, retailers can leverage HotWax’s out-of-the-box inventory management solutions that simplify store-level operations.
Checkout the guide for Store Inventory Management with Shopify x HotWax x NetSuite
Returns Management
Retailers can let customers return products in-store or online regardless of the original purchase channel. By syncing returns data between RMS, ERP, eCommerce and integrated systems, returned items can be restocked quickly, and refunds can be processed to customers without delays. This means that retailers can always maintain inventory accuracy and financial transparency.
Checkout the guide for Returns Management with Shopify x HotWax x NetSuite
Every order, inventory update, and return are reflected across Shopify eCommerce, NetSuite ERP, Loop Returns, and HotWax Commerce OMS.
A Proven Blueprint for Omnichannel Retail Strategy Success
Building an omnichannel retail ecosystem from scratch can be overwhelming, requiring extensive research, trial and error, and time-consuming planning. With this technology blueprint, retailers can adopt a proven tech stack used by leading brands to enable their omnichannel retail strategy efficiently. This eliminates guesswork, accelerates implementation, and ensures a faster time to market.
• Eliminates the Complexity of System Selection: Instead of evaluating and integrating multiple platforms from scratch, retailers can rely on this proven tech stack, saving months of planning and avoiding costly missteps.
• Accelerates Time to Market: With pre-defined integrations between Shopify, Shopify POS, NetSuite, HotWax Commerce, and Loop Returns, retailers can go live faster and adapt to changing customer expectations without delays.
• Supports All Omnichannel Fulfillment Strategies: This integrated stack enables key omnichannel retail strategy like BOPIS, SFS, or warehouse fulfillment. Result? Retailers can fulfill faster and keep customers happy.
• Improves In-Store Inventory Management: Inventory movements from purchase orders and transfer orders are accurately tracked, and regular cycle counts help prevent inventory discrepancies. Result? Accurate inventory, always.
• Simplifies Returns and Exchanges: By integrating Shopify, NetSuite, HotWax Commerce, and Loop Returns, retailers can efficiently manage returns, offer flexible exchange options, and automate refunds, whether the return happens online or in-store. Returned inventory is updated automatically, making stock available for resale.
By leveraging Shopify, NetSuite, Loop Returns, and HotWax Commerce OMS with its iPaaS, retailers can synchronize data across all touchpoints and scale their omnichannel retail strategy effectively.
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Take the Next Step
Retailers no longer need to navigate the complexities of omnichannel retail strategy through trial and error. Learn how Shopify eCommerce, HotWax Commerce OMS, NetSuite ERP, and Loop Returns work together to:
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Implement omnichannel fulfillment: Allow BOPIS, Ship From Store, and warehouse fulfillment, fulfill orders smarter and faster.
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Improve in-store inventory management: Receive and transfer inventory, regularly perform cycle counts, minimizing discrepancies and improving inventory accuracy.
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Simplify returns: Accept online and in-store returns, restock returned inventory timely and maintain accurate GL postings.
Download the ‘Omnichannel Retail Stack of the Decade’ whitepaper to gain practical insights and future-proof your omnichannel retail strategy.
