Multichannel Experience And Pricing

Multichannel experts suggest that the look and feel of our marketing strategies should be the same across channels. We're told to offer the same prices across channels, same promotions across channels, same merchandise across channels. We're told that our customers demand this experience.

If you travel often, stop in a McDonalds restaurant in Boston, and then stop by a McDonalds restaurant in Topeka.

You're likely to find different pricing for similar items.

You're likely to find differences in the menu ... maybe a McRib sandwich is offered in Topeka but not in Boston.

Retailers have a long history of charging different prices in different regions. Retailers offer different merchandise in different regions. We accept this as a fact of life, in reality, it is necessary for the retailer to do this in order to run a profitable business.

If we accept that retail can/should be "different", why can't multichannel marketers offer different promotions, different offers, different merchandise, different contact strategies, different creative treatments by channel?