Franchise Convention

Syreta at the Franchise Convention 2015:
Shopping 2.0 – The perfect connection of online, offline and mobile

What challenges are currently affecting retail? What models already exist in grocery retail to connect online, offline and mobile shopping enjoyment? These questions were at the center of the presentation by our Managing Director Alexander Palnik at the Franchise Convention 2015, which took place in Vienna from April 15 to 16. Around 180 interested attendees followed the explanations about Shopping 2.0 and the future of shopping.

In grocery retail as well as in retail in general, so-called omnichannel solutions hold great potential. They meet customers where they are – whether in the store, in front of a laptop, or on the go with a smartphone. Making optimal use of sales via brick-and-mortar stores, online shops and mobile applications is becoming increasingly important. Using the example of Unimarkt’s online shop, which we at Syreta co-developed significantly and implemented, we showed how innovative and individually tailored e-business solutions can be successfully implemented and connect the shopping worlds of online, offline and mobile.

What the appearance at the Franchise Convention 2015 shows is a syreta that brings its experience from real projects to a broad stage. Around 180 listeners among a professional audience from the franchise sector – this is not a marketing event, but a transfer of knowledge with people who are facing the same challenges themselves.

In 2015, omnichannel was still a buzzword for many. Using the concrete example of the Unimarkt online shop, syreta was able to show what it means when online, offline and mobile truly grow together. That is the difference between theory and lived practice – and that is exactly what the audience in Vienna heard.

Omnichannel 2015 – why the topic is particularly relevant in the franchise sector

For franchise systems, omnichannel presents a particular challenge. Unlike a single retailer, in a franchise all channels must be managed consistently across an entire network of outlets — uniform prices, a uniform assortment, uniform brand communication, and at the same time local flexibility for the individual franchise partners. The question of how online, offline and mobile can grow together in a franchise system without undermining the partners’ independence is one of the most complex in modern retail. Using the example of the Unimarkt online shop, syreta was able to show at the Franchise Convention 2015 that this challenge can be solved — with the right platform and a clear technical architecture in the background. The fact that around 180 attendees followed Alexander Palnik’s presentation shows the strong interest in practical answers to these questions — and the relevance of omnichannel solutions for the Austrian franchise economy.