Purpose The purpose of this research is two-fold: (1) to investigate the challenges e-tailers are confronted with when synchronizing clicks with bricks into an omni-channel perspective and (2) to shed light on the possible ways to overcome these challenges in order to successfully implement an omni-channel strategy. Design/methodology/approach To answer our research questions, we draw on an in-depth longitudinal case study conducted within the French on-line eyewear retailer Direct Optic from January 2013 to March 2015. From an ethnographic perspective, we document the evolution of the retailing company’s decisions and processes as they moved towards defining and implementing an omni-channel strategy. Research was carried out using primary (1500+ hours of participant observation and 118 interviews) and secondary data sources. A conceptualizing content analysis was conducted both manually and with NVivo software. Findings First, our results show that the challenges faced in shifting to omni-channel strategy are so numerous and so engaging that, de facto, it is impossible to evolve directly from a multi-channel, siloed strategy to an omni-channel strategy without any transition. Second, throughout this transformative process, our result show that the challenges faced by the company evolved gradually in terms of scope and priority, and can be categorized into two main categories: the strategy-related challenges (organizational, cultural, managerial, marketing and resources) which were the highest priority in the first stage and the development-related challenges (retailing mix, information systems and CRM) which became the highest priority during the second stage. Research limitations/implications We emphasize the importance of carefully orchestrating how strategy-related and development-related challenges are addressed as, for retailers engaged in going omni-channel, this involves a complete transformation of their configuration. Originality/value Our study contributes to channel management and retailing research by (1) deepening the conceptualization of multi-, cross- and omni-channel retailing, (2) exploring the nature, importance and sequence of the strategy-related challenges and development-related challenges when shifting to an omni-channel strategy, and (3) providing insights into how successfully navigating the transformative process to be omni-channel requires investigating different possible solutions, and further testing and re-testing them, before deploying the appropriate ones. Up to our knowledge, it is one of the first studies to empirically investigate the challenges of an e-tailer when moving towards an omni-channel strategy.

As cross-channel and omni-channel strategies become prevalent among retailing practitioners, existing research calls for further investigation about important issues in relation to the implementation of cross-and omni-channel strategies (Brynjolfsson et al. 2013; Gallino and Moreno 2013; Lewis et al. 2013; Strang 2013). There is a need for explaining how to go omni-channel and for exploring the ways to address challenges faced when implementing an omni-channel strategy (Brynjolfsson et al. 2013). This chapter proposes to address this call by investigating an in-depth single case study of an eyewear retailer Direct Optic . By observing the orchestration of the convergence of bricks and clicks in an omni-channel perspective, this chapter answers the following research questions: ( RQ1 ) What is the process of moving towards an omni-channel strategy? ( RQ2 ) What are the challenges faced in this process? This research provides one of the fi rst in-depth case studies on how a multi-channel retailer moves towards an omni-channel strategy. This research contributes in clarifying the differences between multi-channel, crosschannel, and omni-channel strategies. We also underline that moving from a multito an omni-channel strategy fi rst involves organizational changes, then followed by operational evolutions. Omni-channel strategies can be considered as the optimum situation of the cross-omni-channel continuum, meaning that all the identifi ed challenges have been overcome when reaching the extreme end of the continuum.References available upon request.