Does an online store need omnichannel?
According to experts, the assortment of offline and online stores should be different, because their target audience is different. What is the difference between the target audiences of a regular retail store and its online clone? Does an online store need omnichannel? What similarities and differences exist between an offline and online store? These questions are answered by SR expert practitioner on business technologies in retail Natalya Chinenova
Natalia Chinenova - @fcgmedia
The target audience (TA) of an offline store and an e-commerce website is different.
In an offline store, the target audience is an audience of potential consumers of any product or service. This is the audience to which marketing communications are primarily targeted. It will be divided according to demographic, geographic, economic, psychographic and other characteristics, as well as behavioral qualities: the idea of the “quality” of goods, communication and communication channels, motivation to purchase, methods and methods of making a purchase, preference for the place of purchase.
If we are talking about the target audience of e-commerce, then this is a group of people who are most likely to be interested in the offer and buy specific products. The target market is the end users who may not be the target audience for a particular product, but may purchase it.
In order to answer the question whether an online store needs omnichannel, you need to understand what similarities and differences exist between an offline and online retail store.
In an offline store, the purchase and sale of goods for personal use occurs by the end consumer through an equipped sales area. In an online store, purchasing and selling for a personal user to end consumers occurs through a digital platform (website).
If you look at the coverage of customers, then offline these are residents of a microdistrict within a radius of 1,5 square meters around the point of sale for street retail, visitors to a specific shopping center for stores in a shopping center and the target audience of a specific brand. Online, the reach of buyers is all Internet users, buyers whose needs are met at a specific point in time by a specific unit of goods and the target audience of a specific brand.
The availability of an offline store is limited by the convenience of transport or walking distance, operating hours and government orders, laws and regulations. The availability of an online store, on the contrary, is not limited in any way. The online store operates 25/7/365, accessible from any device - computer, tablet, phone - and anywhere, regardless of the consumer’s location.
Taking into account the peculiarities of offline retail sales, all deliveries are primarily made to the company’s retail stores. The assortment of each retail store of the same chain can and should be different. The unifying link is handwriting, basic models and sales drivers.
The assortment of offline and online stores should be different. Offline, the range of products corresponds to the social status of the target audience. The number of products is limited by the capacity of the sales floor, and its updating and replenishment must occur at least once a month.
Offline, it is important to quickly move knocked-out colors, one-off models, and sales outsiders to other distribution channels. Promotions and sales promotion activities must be carried out in accordance with the calendar plan.
The catalog of its own online store contains the full range of the company’s products, regardless of the season. Update, namely the movement of goods on the first lines of the catalog, should occur at least once every two weeks in accordance with the weather and the behavior of competitors. The movement of goods available in a full range of colors and sizes to other distribution channels is permissible if the turnover of a unit of goods exceeds 180 days of sales.
Single remnants and punched-out colors and sizes are moved to other distribution channels at the end of the season. Promotions and events are carried out in accordance with the behavior of online competitors, marketplaces, the goals and objectives of the online store itself and to attract new customers.
Photo: Ekonika FW 2022/23
How to Compete with Marketplaces in 2025
Service and Marketing Tips in Fashion Retail
Making the right diagnosis. 10 ways to quickly identify your customers' "pains"
Sales through marketplaces. Growth points and pitfalls
Omnichannel on the shelves. What is it, which companies are it suitable for and should they follow this trend?
Tamaris SS26 Collection
In its Spring-Summer 2026 collection, Tamaris combines tradition, innovation, and the latest fashion trends.
Euro Shoes opens a new season for buyers and brands
In the first days of spring, from March 4–7, the international footwear and accessories exhibition Euro Shoes Premiere Collection in Moscow will once again gather buyers and other industry professionals to discover the collections of global footwear brands for the upcoming Fall-Winter 26–27 season.
Chinese brands and factories at Euro Shoes
The Russian economy's pivot toward Asia and the active development of the footwear industry and the technological base for producing a wide range of footwear in China are opening up new prospects for cooperation with Chinese partners.
The home collection from Australian brand EMU Australia at Euro Shoes
SOHO Fashion invites you to discover the new Fall/Winter 26 collection of Australian footwear brand EMU Australia at the Euro Shoes Premiere Collection international exhibition in Moscow.
Rieker and Remonte with new collections - at Euro Shoes
Rieker is well-known and beloved in Russia. Each pair of Rieker shoes is designed with the anatomy of the foot in mind, using Rieker's signature Antistress technology to ensure maximum comfort.
SOHO Fashion Group: 20 years of sustainable growth and collaboration with global brands
This year, SOHO Fashion Group celebrates its 20th anniversary—a significant milestone that highlights the company's sustainable development and its contribution to shaping the Russian fashion market. During this period, the company has established a leading position in the industry, forging strong relationships with international brands and establishing itself as a reliable representative of the fashion segment.
Store Manager: Strategic Asset or Redundant Position?
Owners of small shoe stores often juggle multiple roles: negotiating with suppliers, managing inventory, handling marketing, and even personally participating in sales. In such an environment, it's difficult to focus on strategic development and operational management. This is where a store manager comes in – a key employee who oversees daily processes and ensures stable business growth. However, many owners believe they can handle this on their own. SR fashion business management and development expert Maria Gerasimenko explains why a store manager is essential and why you can't do without one if you want to grow and scale your business.
Spring/Summer 2026: Five Trends for Athletic Shoes
In a highly competitive environment, especially in the dynamic digital environment, fashion trends are changing rapidly. We're highlighting five trends from international trend bureau Future Snoops that address local market demands.
Where can you find reliable shoe manufacturing in Russia today?
The market is changing, but the key question for buyers and brands remains: where can you find real Russian manufacturing that you can work with directly—without complicated processes, surprises, and wasted time? On February 12, 2026, this question will be answered not with presentations, but with practice: the Izmailovo Hotel, Beta Building, will host the 2nd All-Russian Technology Industry Conference "Footwear Manufacturing in Russia"—a meeting of footwear manufacturers and those who order, sell, and develop their brands.
MARCO TOZZI announced the launch of the new MT Sport collection.
German footwear brand MARCO TOZZI has announced the launch of its new men's footwear collection, MT Sport. MT Sport is a new collection of men's footwear in a sporty, casual style. It will be available in partner stores this spring.
Just a month until the Euro Shoes exhibition in Moscow!
We are counting down the days for the main international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes Premiere Collection in Moscow! The exhibition will be held from August 27 to 30 at a new premium venue – the capital's congress center WTC on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment.
Salvatore Ferragamo's Shoes Inspire Pastry Chefs
Italian confectioners have created cakes that are exact copies of six legendary pairs of shoes from the archives of the Italian "Shoemaker to the Stars" maestro Salvatore Ferragamo. They were presented in the 10_11 restaurant of the Milan hotel Portrait Milano, which is part of the hotel management company owned by the Ferragamo family.
Main trend themes for footwear and bags collections for the fall-winter 2025/26 season
Whatever aesthetics your collection adheres to - craft heritage, elegant minimalism inspired by traditions or, conversely, futuristic forms - if your customer strives to be fashionable and you need to regularly update your assortment with current trendy novelties, pay attention to the design trends, models and details of women's shoes and bags in the fall-winter 2025/26 season described in this article. To prepare it, the author used materials from the international trend bureau Fashion Snoops, which is a source of commercial forecasts for the seasons ahead, and current trend analytics of key events in the fashion industry around the world: industry exhibitions, shows, shows.
New brand in the SOHO FASHION portfolio – BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB
SOHO Fashion continues to grow and develop in the Russian footwear market, and in 2025, the leading distributor's brand portfolio added a new one – the legendary BeverlyHills Polo Club (BHPC). This is an international brand that has become a symbol of the American way of life, freedom and style. Founded in the 1980s, it is inspired by the spirit of polo sport, which
associated with elitism, aristocracy and an active lifestyle.
How Pareto's Law Works in a Shoe Retail Store
Analysis of the company's performance is an important quality of a manager. Many indicators in the retail business are subject to analysis, primarily - sales planning and inventory balances, KPI performance by employees, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, the number of sellers, their work schedules and many other factors that affect the final result of the store. In this material, SR expert on increasing sales in shoe retail Evgeny Danchev, using the Pareto principle, understands the reasons why revenue and volumes of goods sold are distributed very unevenly between weekdays and weekends. The author is confident that the Pareto principle is indispensable in the systemic analysis of sales management efficiency and sales results. But it is important to apply it correctly and interpret its meaning.
Micam and Livetrend presented a selection of footwear trends for the spring-summer 2026 season
The Italian international footwear fair Micam presents the "Spring-Summer 2026 Trend Guide", developed in collaboration with Livetrend. The guide is based on the analysis of social networks, online marketplaces and fashion shows, as well as new technologies such as artificial intelligence and Big Data.
The Battle for the Sports Shoe Market
Fashion market experts and economic analysts predict a decline in sales of Nike and Adidas. The leadership positions of the unsinkable sports giants may be seriously shaken in the coming years, as they are being pushed out by young, bold and active competitors – challenger brands. Why is this happening, and what are the main reasons for such changes? Daniya Tkacheva, a fashion market expert and practitioner with 20 years of experience in sales management, and 13 years of experience in the Nike Russia team and fashion retail, shares her view on the situation on the market in the sportswear and footwear segment.
Clarks: 200 years of quality, style and innovation
In 2025, the legendary British brand Clarks celebrates its 200th anniversary – an impressive milestone that demonstrates its enduring relevance, impeccable quality and global appeal.recognition of the brand. Since its foundation in 1825, the company has not only created shoes, but also set the standards for comfort and style, remaining a symbol of British craftsmanship and innovation.
The cyclicality of fashion and its impact on the financial results of the fashion business
Stylists and experts never tire of telling both professionals and ordinary consumers of goods and services in the fashion industry that fashion develops cyclically. The cyclicality of fashion has a significant impact on the financial results of the fashion business, since it dictates periods of demand and decline and determines which goods will be in demand at a certain moment. SR expert in assortment planning and management Emina Ponyatova talks about which aspects of the cyclicality of fashion should be taken into account by shoe retailers in their work, and how they affect the financial performance of the business.
PETER KAISER - the best brand of 2025!
"CAPRICE Schuhproduktion GmbH has received a certificate for awarding PETER KAISER the title of "Top Brand 2025".
Shoe educational program: what shoe soles are made of
“What is the difference between TEP and EVA? What does tunit promise me? Is PVC glue? What is the sole of these shoes made of? ”- the modern buyer wants to know everything. In order not to smash his face in front of him and be able to explain whether such a sole suits him in soles, carefully read this article. In it, process engineer Igor Okorokov tells what materials the soles of shoes are made of and what makes each of them so good.
How to set prices that will earn
Some businessmen still confuse the concept of margin with the concept of trade margins and set prices for their goods, guided solely by the example of competitors. No wonder they go broke! Analyst at the Academy of Retail Technologies Maxim Gorshkov gives several tips and formulas with which you can set not only ruinous, but also profitable prices.
Sales of shoes and accessories: effective techniques for business rhetoric
Which speech modules are effective in communicating with potential and current customers of shoe stores, and which are not, Anna Bocharova, a business consultant, knows.
We form the salary of sellers: expert advice
“How do you charge your consultants for personal or general sales?” Is one of the most popular questions causing a lot of controversy and gossip on the online forums of retail business owners. Indeed, how to properly form the earnings of sellers? But what about bonuses, where to get a sales plan from, do employees allow them to buy goods at discounted stores? In search of truth, the Shoes Report turned to a dozen shoe retailers, but no company wanted to disclose its motivation system - the process of its development was too complicated and individual. Then we asked four business consultants, and finally became convinced that the topic of seller motivation is very complex, because even our experts could not come to a common opinion.
The whole truth about Bayer. Who is he and how to become one?
Bayer is no longer a new, but still a popular and sought-after profession. It’s fashionable to be a buyer. Buyers are at the origins of the emergence and development of trends. If the designer offers his vision of fashion in the season, then the buyer selects the most interesting commercial ideas. It is on buyers that the policy of sales of stores and what, in the end, the buyer will wear depends on. This profession is surrounded by a magical fleur, often associated with a lack of understanding of what exactly is the work of a buyer.
Technology Selling Issues
There is nothing worse than meeting the buyer with the words “Hello, can I help you with something?”, Because the seller works in the store just to help. Criticizing this well-established pattern of communication with the buyer, Andrei Chirkarev, business coach for effective sales and the founder of the New Economy project, shares the technology of truly selling issues with readers of Shoes Report.
Fur, and not only: types of lining
In the production of winter footwear, various materials are used that are designed to retain heat and meet the requirements of consumers: natural sheepleather, artificial fur, artificial fur from natural wool and others. All types of lining fur have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the properties of each of them.
The best models of Czech shoes of the past
In Soviet times, for shoes from Czechoslovakia sold under the Cebo brand, customers stood in line for four hours and did not regret it, because Czech shoes were considered to be of high quality, comfortable and fashionable. Shoe designer Juraj Shushka shared a photo archive of his collection with Shoes Report magazine, which contains the most interesting Cebo models from the 1940's to the 1980's.
Retail Arithmetic
Before you begin to solve specific problems, you need to find out how accurately all the leaders of your company understand the basic terminology of retail.
How to fire a worker without tears, scandal and trial
Sooner or later, any manager is faced with the need to part with an employee. Properly and on time the dismissal procedure will save the company money, and the boss himself - nerves and time. But why sometimes, knowing that a break in relations is inevitable, we put off the decision for months?
