Omni Channel Small Business

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A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit

Omni-channel
comes to
small business

Sponsored by

Omni-channel comes to small business

Executive
summary

Small businesses—defined here as companies with
fewer than 100 employees and up to US$20m in
revenue—have tended to rely on strong and close
relationships with their customers. Consumers, in
turn, have always appreciated the local, friendly
touch of a small business. But as consumers
embrace mobile devices and new-media channels,
they are faced with a deluge of new options, tools
and messages—consequently, their purchasing
behaviours are evolving rapidly. In this era of
“omni-channel” marketing, small businesses face
the challenge of engaging their individual
customers better than ever and securing their
satisfaction and loyalty.
In November 2014, the Economist Intelligence
Unit (EIU) polled 363 executives and owners of
small businesses from across the US to gauge how
well they understand customer satisfaction, and

how they intend to deliver unique and
differentiated experiences across multiple
channels. Some of the key findings to emerge from
the research include:
l Small businesses may be overestimating how
satisfied their customers really are. Small
businesses pride themselves on cultivating a close
and personal connection with their customers. Yet
for most of them, understanding customer
satisfaction is still a very organic, unsophisticated
process. The EIU survey shows that small
businesses rarely deploy sophisticated metrics and
processes, such as tracking the rate of repeat
purchases by customers, analysing the rate of
customer referrals, tracking complaints and
returns, and conducting occasional spot surveys
with customers, to capture and measure customer

Self-reported performance over the past 12 months across revenue, profitability and
customer satisfaction metrics
(% respondents)
Significantly
outperformed
Revenue growth vs competition
5
Profitability vs expectations
4

Moderately
outperformed

Performed
on par

Moderately
underperformed

28

51

25

Customer satisfaction vs expectations
26

44
32

Significantly
underperformed
11

6

21

6
38 2 1

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, November 2014

1

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

satisfaction. In fact, the number-one method they
deploy, chosen by 37% of respondents, is “no
method”, and another 25% rely on qualitative
measures of satisfaction based on in-person
conversations with customers.
At the same time, small companies appear to be
overestimating their customer satisfaction
performance. When asked to rate their own
performance over the past 12 months, they are
modest across most metrics—only 4-5% of
respondents believe their company significantly
outperforms peers in revenue growth or
profitability. However, some 26% believe they
significantly exceeded their customers’
expectations and only 3% conceded that they
might not be meeting customer expectations. The
smaller the respondents’ companies, the more
likely they are to be over-confident about their
customer-satisfaction performance.
l Human interactions are still critical to
customer satisfaction, but new-media channels
are the future. Human-interaction channels, such
as physical stores, phone hotlines, online chats,
and e-mail and text correspondence, are still the
most heavily used vehicles for customers to
interact with small businesses and their brands. At

the same time, next to product and service quality,
the quality of human interactions is seen as the
foremost driver of customer satisfaction (47% of
survey respondents selected it as a top-three
factor), followed by the ability to resolve customer
issues and complaints in a satisfactory manner
(39%).
It is no surprise, therefore, that personal
interaction channels are perceived to be the most
critical in keeping customers engaged and happy.
And while Internet, mobile and social media
channels still lag in usage, investment in these
channels is outpacing their perceived importance—
reflecting the expected future importance of
new-media channels in delivering a high-quality,
seamless customer experience.
l A “reverse showrooming” phenomenon may
be emerging as consumers rely more on new
media to research and select products, but prefer
a brick-and-mortar outlet for purchasing. Much
attention has been paid to the “showrooming”
phenomenon plaguing retail, that is, the tendency
of consumers to browse and try out products in
brick-and-mortar stores, but then turn to online
stores to find the lowest purchase price.
The EIU survey indicates, however, that new-

Most critical drivers of customer satisfaction
(% respondents)
Quality of products or services
63
Quality of staff communications and interactions with customers
47
Ability to resolve customer issues and complaints in a satisfactory manner
39
Ease and speed of executing customer transactions
29
Providing the best possible price
23
Strong corporate values and a socially responsible mission
11
Availability and co-ordination of multi-channel communications and interactions with customers (including online, mobile and offline channels)
10
Quality of corporate communications and marketing messages
8
Flexible exchange or refund policies
4
Don’t know/None of the above
5

Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, November 2014

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© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

media channels play a bigger role in the prepurchase phase of the customer journey while
traditional human-interaction channels are seen as
relatively more important during the purchase
phase, causing a potential “reverse showrooming”
effect. This suggests the need to rethink the
balance and relative importance of different
channels that drive customer experience and
satisfaction.
l Seamless omni-channel delivery is still rare,
hampered by old habits and the lack of financial
and human capital. Consumers—particularly those
considering purchasing from businesses with fewer
than 25 employees—are increasingly relying on
multiple channels throughout their purchasing
journey, especially when they research and select
products and services. However, most businesses
do not yet deliver a seamless omni-channel
experience; only about one-fifth of survey
respondents believe their company is able to do so.
And their omni-channel delivery is more focused on
the purchase phase and least targeted at the
pre-purchase phase, where consumer omnichannel needs and behaviours seem to be
concentrated. One-quarter of respondents indicate
their omni-channel delivery is very weak—10% of

respondents claim to offer a poorly co-ordinated
omni-channel experience and about 15% offer no
omni-channel experience across the entire
customer journey.
What prevents small businesses from providing
better and more uniform omni-channel
experiences? According to survey respondents, the
top reasons are: insufficient funding, old habits
and lack of human capital (all chosen as top-three
obstacles by 23% of respondents). Other
challenges include lack of technical skills,
insufficient training and lack of focus from top
leadership on the need to create an omni-channel
experience for customers. Less common obstacles
are lack of understanding of customer needs and
behaviours and poor collaboration among
departments.
Nearly one-fifth of survey respondents report no
major challenges and believe they already deliver a
seamless omni-channel customer experience.
Whether this reflects reality or is merely an inflated
perception is a question to explore further. Smaller
companies are considerably more likely to say they
face no major obstacles, as well as to state that
they offer a seamless omni-channel experience
during both the purchase and post-purchase
phases. Smaller companies generally have simpler

Top challenges preventing companies from delivering a seamless omni-channel customer experience
(% respondents)
Lack of financial capital to invest in creating a seamless omni-channel customer experience
23
Shortage of human capital required to co-ordinate the customer messaging and experiences across channels
23
Strong dependence on one or two channels for driving company revenues and customer satisfaction
23
No major challenges – we deliver a seamless omni-channel customer experience
19
Lack of training and skills to co-ordinate customer messaging and experiences across channels
15
Lack of technical skills and knowledge to develop seamless customer messaging and experiences for emerging channels
15
Lack of focus from top leadership on the need to create an omni-channel experience for customers
13
Lack of understanding of the needs and behaviours of our customers across channels
12
Poor collaboration and incentive alignment among different departments within the company
8
Don’t know/None of the above
23
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, November 2014

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© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

operations and are sufficiently focused on their
customers, hence co-ordination is not as much of
an issue. But they need to keep an eye on their
customer satisfaction metrics to make sure they
sustain this seamless experience as they grow.
l The ability to recognise the customer,
seamlessly complete transactions across
channels and deliver a synchronised marketing
message are key to customer satisfaction. When
interacting with a business and a brand across
different channels, customers want to feel that
they are dealing with one entity—an entity that
speaks to them with the same voice and operates in
a uniform, reliable manner—regardless of which
channel they happen to be using. It is not
surprising, therefore, that survey respondents
selected the ability to recognise the customer and
track their preferences in different channels as the
most important omni-channel feature (69% rated
it as very important or somewhat important),
closely followed by the ability to initiate and
seamlessly complete a transaction across different
channels (65%). Addressing the customer with a
synchronised marketing message and brand
communication across channels was also deemed
important.
For the time being, small businesses rely on
simple methods (or none at all) to ensure that they
deliver co-ordinated and coherent experiences
across channels. Twenty-nine percent of survey
respondents say they actively solicit and act on
customer feedback about channel experiences,
while 30% admit to having no co-ordination
tactics. More sophisticated small businesses rely on
having top leadership actively focused on
monitoring the coherence of customer experiences
across channels, consolidating responsibility for
content and activities across all channels under
one senior executive, and developing all marketing
content and customer experiences with customers’
omni-channel needs in mind.
Most companies are focused on building and
delivering omni-channel features to their
customers, but investment may not be keeping up
with demand. The survey reveals that between

4

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

one-sixth and one-fifth of respondents admit to
having weak capabilities in these areas and only
9-10% of respondents say their company plans to
make significant investments in these features in
the coming two years. Thus, many companies will
be playing catch-up with the omni-channel leaders
and customers’ expectations. In the meantime, the
omni-channel train will keep moving. As these
top-three features become table stakes in the
future, attention will likely shift to the more
sophisticated omni-channel capabilities, such as
unified product assortment and pricing and
real-time visibility of inventory across channels.
l Delivering a seamless omni-channel customer
experience is highly correlated with strong
financial performance. What does it take to beat
the competition? A number of things for sure, but
one factor setting top performers apart seems to be
a thorough understanding of their customers and
the ability to give them a uniform experience
across channels. The EIU survey shows a strong
correlation between being a leader in omnichannel delivery and strong business performance
across several key metrics. Respondents who rated
their company as a market-leading omni-channel
operator and innovator were more likely to
outperform the competition in revenue growth
(66% vs 29% among non-market-leading omnichannels operators), beat profitability
expectations (55% vs 26%) and exceed customer
expectations (74% vs 57%).
At the core of this superior performance is a
more sophisticated understanding of customer
needs and satisfaction. Companies that beat
profitability expectations are much more likely to
deploy a variety of methods to measure customer
satisfaction, such as conduct regular formal
quantitative surveys (18% vs 9% among
companies that are on par with or do not meet
profitability expectations), track and analyse
frequency of customer referrals (23% vs 15%),
rate of repeat purchases by customers (23% vs
17%) and customer complaints and product
returns (21% vs 12%).
Small businesses, just as well as large ones, are

Omni-channel comes to small business

Methods used by companies to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty

Exceeded profitability expectations
On par with profitability expectations
Fell short of profitability expectations

(% respondents)

28

We do not have a formal method for
measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty
Maintain a qualitative measure of satisfaction based
on ongoing in-person conversations with customers

23
21

12
12

Conduct regular formal quantitative
surveys of customer satisfaction

18

9
9

Collect and analyse customer ratings
and reviews of our products and services

9

11

16
14
13
15

Conduct occasional spot surveys
and interviews of customers
Don’t know/None of the above

21

14
15

Track and analyse customer complaints
and product returns

29
23

14

Track and analyse frequency
of customer referrals

41

27

21

Track and analyse rate of repeat
purchases by customers

40

4
7

11
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit survey, November 2014

facing the omni-channel imperative. They are
discovering the need to interact with their
customers across the full spectrum of
communication and transaction channels—from
in-person and phone interactions to Internet,
mobile and e-mail to packaging and signage, and
potentially other media. Those that overcome the

5

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

inertia of old habits, invest in capturing pertinent
customer information and in understanding the
drivers of their customer satisfaction, and deliver a
truly seamless customer experience throughout the
customer journey and across channels will build a
competitive advantage and achieve superior
performance.

Omni-channel comes to small business

Appendix:
Survey
results

Percentages may not
add to 100% owing to
rounding or the ability
of respondents to
choose multiple
responses.

In the past 12 months, how has your company performed relative to your competitors
with regard to revenue growth?
(% respondents)
Significantly outperformed the competition
5
Moderately outperformed the competition
28
Performed on par with the competition
51
Moderately underperformed the competition
11
Significantly underperformed the competition
6

In the past 12 months, how has your company performed relative to expectations with regard to profitability?
(% respondents)
Significantly exceeded expectations
4
Moderately exceeded expectations
25
Met expectations
44
Fell moderately short of expectations
21
Fell significantly short of expectations
6

6

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

In the past 12 months, how has your company performed with regard to customer satisfaction?
(% respondents)
Significantly exceeded customer expectations
26
Moderately exceeded customer expectations
32
Met customer expectations
38
Fell moderately short of customer expectations
2
Fell significantly short of customer expectations
1

Which of the following methods does your company use to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
Maintain a qualitative measure of satisfaction based on ongoing in-person conversations with customers
25
Track and analyse rate of repeat purchases by customers
19
Track and analyse frequency of customer referrals
17
Track and analyse customer complaints and product returns
15
Conduct occasional spot surveys and interviews of customers
14
Conduct regular formal quantitative surveys of customer satisfaction
12
Collect and analyse customer ratings and reviews of our products and services
12
We do not have a formal method for measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty
37
Don’t know/None of the above
8

In your opinion, which of the following are the most critical drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
Quality of products or services
63
Quality of staff communications and interactions with customers
47
Ability to resolve customer issues and complaints in a satisfactory manner
39
Ease and speed of executing customer transactions
29
Providing the best possible price
23
Strong corporate values and a socially responsible mission
11
Availability and co-ordination of multi-channel communications and interactions with customers (including online, mobile and offline channels)
10
Quality of corporate communications and marketing messages
8
Flexible exchange or refund policies
4
Don’t know/None of the above
5

7

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

Through which of the following channels do customers commonly interact with your company and your brand?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
In-person human interaction channels (eg, brick-and-mortar stores, showrooms, branches, offices)
62
Remote human interaction channels (eg, phone, online chat, online collaboration)
60
Remote correspondence channels (eg, e-mail, SMS, text messaging)
53
Traditional Internet channels (eg, websites, cloud solutions, online stores)
23
Social media channels (eg, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube apps and websites)
15
Public and trade event channels (eg, PR events, conventions, trade shows)
9
Mobile channels (eg, mobile apps, mobile Internet, alerts)
7
Non-traditional media channels (eg, blogs, online video channels)
2
Traditional media channels (eg, TV, radio, print, outdoor advertising)
2
Don’t know/None of the above
4

In your opinion, which of the following channels are most critical to driving greater customer satisfaction
and loyalty?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
In-person human interaction channels (eg, brick-and-mortar stores, showrooms, branches, offices)
70
Remote human interaction channels (eg, phone, online chat, online collaboration)
54
Remote correspondence channels (eg, e-mail, SMS, text messaging)
41
Traditional Internet channels (eg, websites, online stores, cloud solutions)
25
Social media channels (eg, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube apps and websites)
14
Public and trade event channels (eg, PR events, conventions, trade shows)
10
Mobile channels (eg, mobile apps, mobile Internet, alerts)
6
Traditional media channels (eg, TV, radio, print, outdoor advertising)
4
Non-traditional media channels (eg, blogs, online video channels)
2
Don’t know/None of the above
5

8

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

In which of the following channels has your company invested most heavily in the past 2 years?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
In-person human interaction channels (eg, brick-and-mortar stores, showrooms, branches, offices)
50
Remote human interaction channels (eg, phone, online chat, online collaboration)
37
Remote correspondence channels (eg, e-mail, SMS, text messaging)
33
Traditional Internet channels (eg, websites, cloud solutions, online stores)
26
Social media channels (eg, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube apps and websites)
15
Mobile channels (eg, mobile apps, mobile Internet, alerts)
9
Public and trade event channels (eg, PR events, conventions, trade shows)
9
Traditional media channels (eg, TV, radio, print, outdoor advertising)
8
Non-traditional media channels (eg, blogs, online video channels)
3
Don’t know/None of the above
16

In your view, which of the following channels are most critical to your customers’ experience during the
pre-purchase phase (ie, when they discover, research, compare and decide to purchase your products and services)?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
In-person human interaction channels (eg, brick-and-mortar stores, showrooms, branches, offices)
59
Remote human interaction channels (eg, phone, online chat, online collaboration)
50
Remote correspondence channels (eg, e-mail, SMS, text messaging)
38
Traditional Internet channels (eg, websites, cloud solutions, online stores)
29
Social media channels (eg, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube apps and websites)
12
Public and trade event channels (eg, PR events, conventions, trade shows)
10
Mobile channels (eg, mobile apps, mobile Internet, alerts)
7
Traditional media channels (eg, TV, radio, print, outdoor advertising)
5
Non-traditional media channels (eg, blogs, online video channels)
4
Don’t know/None of the above
8

9

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

In your view, which of the following channels are most critical to your customers’ experience during the
purchase phase (ie, when they select, order and pay for your products and services)?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
In-person human interaction channels (eg, brick-and-mortar stores, showrooms, branches, offices)
64
Remote human interaction channels (eg, phone, online chat, online collaboration)
56
Remote correspondence channels (eg, e-mail, SMS, text messaging)
45
Traditional Internet channels (eg, websites, cloud solutions, online stores)
20
Mobile channels (eg, mobile apps, mobile Internet, alerts)
6
Social media channels (eg, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube apps and websites)
6
Non-traditional media channels (eg, blogs, online video channels)
3
Traditional media channels (eg, TV, radio, print, outdoor advertising)
4
Public and trade event channels (eg, PR events, conventions, trade shows)
4
Don’t know/None of the above
7

In your view, which of the following channels are most critical to your customers’ experience during the
post-purchase phase (ie, when they receive, utilise and troubleshoot your products and services)?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
In-person human interaction channels (eg, brick-and-mortar stores, showrooms, branches, offices)
62
Remote human interaction channels (eg, phone, online chat, online collaboration)
60
Remote correspondence channels (eg, e-mail, SMS, text messaging)
51
Traditional Internet channels (eg, websites, cloud solutions, online stores)
17
Social media channels (eg, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube apps and websites)
12
Mobile channels (eg, mobile apps, mobile Internet, alerts)
7
Non-traditional media channels (eg, blogs, online video channels)
3
Traditional media channels (eg, TV, radio, print, outdoor advertising)
3
Public and trade event channels (eg, PR events, conventions, trade shows)
3
Don’t know/None of the above
7

10

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

In your view, what is the pattern of your customers’ needs and behaviours when they interact with your
company across the different phases of the purchasing journey?
(% respondents)

Consistently
use multiple
channels

Sometimes use
multiple
channels

Rarely use
more than one
channel

Consistently
use only one
channel

Pre-purchase phase (ie, when customers discover, research, compare and decide to purchase products and services)
18
33
23
Purchase phase (ie, when customers select, order and pay for products and services)
13
31

10

29

Post-purchase phase (ie, when customers receive, use and troubleshoot products and services)
15
29

Don’t
know/Not
applicable
15
14

25

13

15

15

How would you rate your company’s delivery of an omni-channel experience to your customers
across the different phases of the purchasing journey?
(% respondents)
Seamless
omni-channel
experience

Somewhat
co-ordinated
omni-channel
experience

Poorly
co-ordinated
omni-channel
experience No

Pre-purchase phase (ie, when customers discover, research, compare and decide to purchase products and services)
18
35
11
Purchase phase (ie, when customers select, order and pay for products and services)
21
31

omni-channel
experience

14

11

Post-purchase phase (ie, when customers receive, use and troubleshoot products and services)
19
35
10

Don’t
know/Not
applicable

22

15

21

15

22

In your view, what are the main challenges preventing your company from delivering a seamless
omni-channel experience for your customers?
Please select three.
(% respondents)
Shortage of human capital required to co-ordinate the customer messaging and experiences across channels
23
Lack of financial capital to invest in creating a seamless omni-channel customer experience
23
Strong dependence on one or two channels for driving company revenues and customer satisfaction
23
No major challenges – we deliver a seamless omni-channel customer experience
19
Lack of training and skills to co-ordinate customer messaging and experiences across channels
15
Lack of technical skills and knowledge to develop seamless customer messaging and experiences for emerging channels
15
Lack of focus from top leadership on the need to create an omni-channel experience for customers
13
Lack of understanding of the needs and behaviours of our customers across channels
12
Poor collaboration and incentive alignment among different departments within the company
8
Don’t know/None of the above
23

11

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

In your opinion, how important are the following omni-channel features to driving customer satisfaction
and loyalty?
(% respondents)
Very
important

Somewhat
important

Synchronised marketing message and brand communication across channels
30

Not
important

36

Ability to recognise the customer and track their preferences in different channels
33

12
12

36

Unified database of products and prices used across channels
25

19

19
36

Co-ordination and real-time visibility of inventory in different channels
22

22

36

Co-ordinated promotions and marketing events spanning multiple channels
23

Don’t know/
Not applicable

22

15

34

23

18

Ability to initiate and seamlessly complete a transaction across different channels
33

27

32

15

20

How would you rate the strength of your company’s capabilities with regard to the following
omni-channel features?
(% respondents)
Strong
capabilities
Synchronised marketing message and brand communication across channels
19
Ability to recognise the customer and track their preferences in different channels
24

Moderate
capabilities
40
33

26
19

24

23

34

Co-ordination and real-time visibility of inventory in different channels
13
30

Don’t know/
Not applicable

16

Co-ordinated promotions and marketing events spanning multiple channels
15
31
Unified database of products and prices used across channels
15

Weak
capabilities

30

17

33

18

38

Ability to initiate and seamlessly complete a transaction across different channels
22
30

21

27

In the next 2 years, how extensively do you think your company will invest in the following
omni-channel capabilities and features?
(% respondents)
High
investment

Moderate
investment

Low investment

Synchronised marketing message and brand communication across channels
9
34

29

Ability to recognise the customer and track their preferences in different channels
11
34

28

Co-ordinated promotions and marketing events spanning multiple channels
10
30
Unified database of products and prices utilised across channels
9
28
Co-ordination and real-time visibility of inventory in different channels
7
28
Ability to initiate and seamlessly complete a transaction across different channels
9
32

12

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

30

Don’t know/
Not applicable
28
27
29

29

34

31

35
31

28

Omni-channel comes to small business

How do you identify and prioritise what investments to make and in which customer channels?
Please select all that apply.
(% respondents)
Poll customers for their needs and opinions
35
Track and analyse customer behaviours across channels
29
Follow industry trends and adopt emerging best-practice strategies
27
Strive to match or exceed the channel capabilities of our direct competition
20
Measure and analyse channel activity and transactions
19
Rely on external consultants to assess periodically our channel capabilities
9
Employ external experts to help us devise and implement our channel strategy
9
Channel strategy is a top priority and our top leadership is actively engaged in omni-channel capabilities assessment and investment decisions
8
Don’t know/None of the above
29

How are you ensuring that customer messaging and experiences are co-ordinated and coherent
when customers interact with your company across different channels?
Please select all that apply.
(% respondents)
We actively solicit and act on customer feedback about channel experiences
29
Responsibility for content and activities across all channels is consolidated under one senior executive
20
Top leadership is actively focused on monitoring the coherence of customer experiences across channels
20
All our marketing content and customer experiences is developed with customers’ omni-channel needs in mind
20
We leverage the same technology and tools to deliver content and experiences in different channels
15
We conduct regular staff training to ensure that employees understand our omni-channel capabilities and can communicate them well to customers
15
Departments responsible for different channels and activities collaborate closely to ensure co-ordination
12
We invite mystery shoppers, bloggers and reviewers to test and critique our customer experiences in different channels
6
Don’t know/None of the above
30

Relative to your competition and other market players, how would you rate your company’s position
as an omni-channel operator and innovator?
(% respondents)
Market leader
10
Early adopter
32
Follower
34
Laggard
23

13

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

Omni-channel comes to small business

In which region are you personally located?

What is your primary industry?

(% respondents)

(% respondents)
Professional services

Northeast

15

25

Retailing

Midwest

8

26

Construction and real estate

South

7

26

Financial services

West

7

23

Entertainment, media and publishing
6

IT and technology

What are your organisation’s global annual revenues
in US dollars?

6

Manufacturing
4

(% respondents)

Automotive

$1m or less
45

$1m to $5m

3

Education
3

32

Agriculture and agribusiness

$5m to $10m

2

15

Consumer goods

$10m to $20m

2

9

Government/Public sector
2

Healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
2

Approximately how many people does your
organisation employ?

Transportation, travel and tourism

(% respondents)

Chemicals

2
1

1-10
50

10-25

1

Logistics and distribution

27

1

25-50

Telecommunications

15

1

50-100

Other, please specify

8

27

What is your main functional role?

Which of the following best describes your title?

(% respondents)

(% respondents)

General management
48

Sales

Founder/Owner/CEO/President
53

CFO/Treasurer/Comptroller

9

Operations and production
8

2

CTO/CIO/Technology director
1

Finance

CMO/Head of marketing

6

Customer service
5

Business development
3

1

Other C-level executive
1

Head of business unit
5

Marketing

SVP/VP/Director

3

11

IT

Manager

2

Communications
2

Human resources
2

Procurement and supply-chain management
1

Other
12

14

Energy and natural resources

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

20

Other
6

Omni-channel comes to small business

Whilst every effort has been taken to verify the accuracy of this
information, neither The Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd. nor the
sponsor of this report can accept any responsibility or liability
for reliance by any person on this white paper or any of the

Cover: Shutterstock

information, opinions or conclusions set out in the white paper.

15

© The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2014

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