Building Multichannel Brand is every seller’s dream when they start a business. This will not only increase ROI but long-term multiple sources of income as well. Retail sellers who are selling in Amazon or eBay or any other marketplace often look for multichannel for selling products. Some sellers with private label or those who own a brand also look for expanding business. Many small retailers who have just started an online business sometimes look for more options. This is where they get into trouble. It is best to focus on one thing for a few years and let the business grow. Ecommerce is the best channel one can start with very little capital and also no need for office space initially. Just a laptop with good speed internet will do the eCommerce. Once online sellers build significant level then look for multichannel selling.
eCommerce business is not as simple as we think. Getting a hold on to the online marketplace will take a few months to years. Once considerable experience with eCommerce business once can start looking into retail stores. Private label brands or Self-designed product sellers must start with eCommerce. This is because of the push sellers can get in the sea of the Internet.
Generally, retail store buyers look for online reviews and ratings. Therefore, sellers must establish good feedback on eCommerce channels. Then selling in a retail store will boost easily. If you start a business by launching a product in the retail store, the public might not consider buying because of week presence online. The online presence will ensure confidence and trust with customers. Also, meeting the retail store owners or firms and making a deal is also not easy with no presence online. New retail seller will run out of capital while hunting for retail store sellers. Also, retail stores will load up with contracts and buyback if the stock doesn’t move quickly.
The important factors should consider while building Multichannel Brands:
1) It is very important to focus on your core sector. Don’t diversify the range of the products rather focus on a 
single area. For example, if you are building a battery or light bulb brand, focus only on the lighting sector. Diversify the products within the category.
2) Consider having a business partner with decades of experience. Many changes since decades help in predicting the future market. If you are just starting a business, no need to worry about hiring a full-time business consultant. However, one can hire a consultant with 20-30 years of experience.
3) In addition, honesty matters a lot. Be truthful with what you are offering. Also, building a relationship with customers with the help of online feedback management system helps in creating the trust in Brand.
What all the infrastructure required for expansion?
Centralised infrastructure is the key to expansion. The central-automated system can save time and increase ROI. Managing multichannel brands is not easy. We strongly recommend using one of the tools available in the market. Infrastructure like the big office or warehouse is not necessary initially. Adopt the software system with a provision of scaling the business online. Run a campaign like an email marketing, social media or Instagram and also manage sales in multiple marketplaces using one tool. Build a healthy customer relationship which will help in selling products when you step into retail stores.
Finally, When you own or private label a product, focus on a long-term goal. Building the multichannel brand takes a lot of time. Rushing into all the channels will get you headaches and drain your capital. Our recommendation is to start selling in one of the large eCommerce marketplaces and do well. Amazon or eBay is the best place to start and experiment as well. Then move on to multiple online marketplaces and retail stores. In parallel grow the physical assets like a warehouse to manage inventory, office and staffs.
