Direct to Consumer

Consulting offerings

In this new age of the always-connected consumer, social media, mobile technologies and multi-channel capabilities are revolutionizing how customers interact with brands. Customer experience is rapidly becoming a seamless, cross-channel experience that links customers to products and information across mobile, advertising, brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce and call centers.

To address the needs of today’s consumers, companies must develop an effective holistic strategy, focused on building a common set of enterprise capabilities that can be accessed anywhere, regardless of channel.

Deloitte can help. We offer leading-edge capabilities in strategy and implementation that enable companies to address the unique needs of the always-connected consumer. Whether it’s building the commerce operations and infrastructure of the future, transforming the way orders are received and fulfilled, or developing a mobile strategy, we help companies compete in the new world of connected commerce. Learn more about Direct to Consumer.

What we offer

• Customer Transformation
• Pricing and Profitability Management
• Product Development
• Service Operations
• Organizational Strategy and Design
• Web-enabled Transformation

 It’s not a question of if, but when…and the answer is now.

Although the concepts of direct selling and multiple channels have been around for decades, recent technology advances have had a significant impact on consumer behavior – and have disrupted the balance between direct channels and other channels. We believe that by 2015, over 50 percent of all retail sales will be either on-line or influenced by the online channel.

This trend goes beyond traditional retail companies. Businesses such as financial institutions, consumer products manufacturers, restaurants and travel-related firms are also recognizing the benefits of an integrated, multi-channel approach, offering mobile applications and online options that make it easy and convenient for customers to execute transactions and access information regardless of location.

Looking ahead, even businesses that serve other businesses as their customers are starting to respond to this challenge. Given how quickly customer expectations are rising, planning now for your company’s mobile-enabled, constantly connected future can help differentiate you from the competition.

Bottom-line benefits

• Boost revenue and competitiveness by offering customers more ways to do business whenever and wherever they choose
• Improve customer satisfaction and loyalty by offering a seamless service experience across all channels
• Reduce operating costs through improved cross-channel efficiency
• Design more effective products and services based on a more complete view of customer needs

How to create more value now

1. Develop a fully integrated channel strategy. The days of independent channels are over. Effectiveness in a connected business environment requires a coordinated strategy and integration across all channels. In-store pick-up and returns for items purchased online are a step in the right direction; however, these offerings are only part of a truly integrated system.
2. Harness information from all channels. One advantage of improved channel integration is the complete picture it provides of each customer; however, this advantage is only valuable if you use it. The latest technology tools can help you gather and analyze customer demographic data and shopping habits across channels, enabling your company to provide better service and develop products that align with changing market trends.
3. Make it easier for customers to pay. When paying for online purchases – especially from a mobile device -- customers are looking for ways to simplify the tedious and repetitive checkout process while maintaining confidence that the transactions are secure. Until that happens, it will be hard for connected commerce to achieve its full potential.
4. Don’t ignore social media. Social media already impacts how your products and brand are perceived. Open and active participation in social media forums will help maintain control of your brand.

How we can help

Deloitte offers leading-edge capabilities, from strategy and business processes to operations and human capital, allowing us to help companies address the specific needs of today’s connected consumer. Whether it’s building advanced e-commerce operations and infrastructure, improving your multi-channel capabilities, developing a mobile strategy, or driving innovative use of social media, we can help you compete more effectively.

Our services include:

• Commerce – implementing the latest technologies and processes for online, mobile and digital selling
• Multi-channel – developing multi-channel strategies and creating seamless operational processes and capabilities across channels
• Mobile – developing strategies, tools and processes to harness the business potential of the ever-expanding array of personal wireless devices
• Social Media – using social media to strengthen your brands, drive business, influence customer perceptions and understand customer needs

Engaging connected consumers should be approached with an integrated business strategy and not just viewed as a technology challenge. Deloitte has helped many of the world’s largest and most successful companies develop and implement online and multi-channel strategies. We are a recognized leader in providing a broad spectrum of services, including business and technology consulting, customer management, security and controls, business analytics, marketing and brand effectiveness and tax advice. In addition, we have made significant investments in research and thought leadership, offering our clients a combination of demonstrated experience and practical innovation.

Direct to Consumer in action

• We helped one of the world’s largest direct sellers of beauty products ($8B in annual revenue) improve service, inventory and cost across its global enterprise. Specific focus areas included: standardizing technology systems across regions, streamlining inventory management processes to improve accuracy and visibility and integrating finance and supply chains systems to improve forecasting and planning. The project is expected to substantially improve the customer experience, increase flexibility, reduce total cost of ownership and dramatically improve the company’s ability to respond to innovative opportunities.
• We helped a multi-channel $1.5B apparel retailer implement technology to dramatically improve its operations. This effort encompassed systems for e-commerce, warehouse management and order management. The project enabled the warehouse to achieve record shipments and exceed customer satisfaction targets. In addition, it is expected to boost the company’s annual revenue by $200 million.
• We helped a major music retailer design and implement a multi-channel systems strategy that brought true channel integration to their stores, call-center and website. The project is expected to dramatically improve the customer experience and drive incremental revenue through increased basket size, improved conversion rates and improved cross-channel selling.

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