Optimising omnichannel: the case of South African fashion retail

Purpose This study investigates the obstacles middle-market fashion retailers face when pursuing omnichannel (OC) retailing in South Africa (SA), a fast-growing yet infrastructure-constrained market, and indicates how their operations can be optimised. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was selected, using multiple case study research and multi-method data collection using semi-structured interviews, observation and secondary sources, which were thematically analysed. Findings The three OC transitioning fashion retailer cases expound on the specific characteristics and industry dynamics within SA that add complexity to the implementation of OC. The research reveals specific enablers that enhance dynamic capability that SA fashion retailers have developed to overcome OC challenges, including investments to improve e-commerce logistics specific to the market context, adapting to unreliable external infrastructure, developing a growth mindset and a focus on mobile operations and credit facility. Practical implications A granular understanding of contextual factors is critical for designing viable OC strategies in emerging markets. The insights guide fashion and non-fashion retailers seeking to implement OC in similarly nuanced environments. Originality/value By foregrounding an emerging-market context long overlooked in OC scholarship, the study proposes a conceptual framework linking market characteristics to the nature and intensity of OC hurdles and to the dynamic capabilities required to surmount them.