IDG Contributor Network: Macy's, Walmart still trying to balance in-store, online holiday sales

Listen up, retailers: Your merged channel strategies should be about leveraging all channels in a way that makes the most sense for the shopper. They should not be an attempt to feed all shoppers into whatever channel you find the most profitable.

Evidence that this lesson hasn't been learned yet came last week from two disparate retailers, Macy's and Walmart.

First, Macy's CEO declared that the chain's stores still matter. What is remarkable about this is the fact that the CEO of Macy's felt the need to articulate it. It suggests that retailers' thinking about merged channel is still confused.

Second, Walmart said that 96% of its holiday deals will be offered both online and in-store, a figure that is up from 90% last year. That's a move in the right direction, but why is 4% being kept offline?

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