Growth & Scale Stage: Omnichannel

Growth & Scale stage in omnichannel businesses requires tight online-offline integration, advanced demand forecasting, and unified customer data. Teams evolve into cross-functional squads spanning e-commerce, retail, category management and logistics, supported by new leadership layers and stronger analytics, finance, and operational controls.

Table of Contents

1. Stage-Defining Metrics & Benchmarks

2. TL;DR

3. Organization Chart

   1. Deep Dive: Structures, deliverables & skills

      1. Commercial

      2. Operations

      3. Finance

   2. How to Apply to My Business

   3. Common Pitfalls

Stage-Defining Metrics & Benchmarks

• Revenue / GMV: Typically >€20M–€30M ARR, scaling towards €50M+ ARR.

• Growth Rates: Sustained monthly growth of 10–20%+, gradually trending to stable growth as scale increases.

• Funding stage: Series B+

  
  

Key Differentiators

• Multiple channels, product lines or markets; need bespoke channel attention and coordinated strategy.

• Larger teams: need middle management.

• More sophisticated finance: fundraising, forecasting for rapid scaling, working capital constraints, retailer contracts.

• Need for advanced AI/ML use (personalization at scale, advanced forecasting, dynamic pricing)

TL;DR

In omnichannel businesses during the Growth/Scale stage, the commercial function is led by a Chief Commercial Officer, supported by Directors of Marketing &  Sales. Together, they manage acquisition and growth across digital (DTC, marketplaces) and retail channels (flagships, central/decentral retailers, wholesale and OOH). They drive full-funnel attribution, retail media integration, and cross-channel CRM and loyalty programs, aligning brand messaging and experience across physical and digital touchpoints. Responsibilities span retail expansion, assortment strategy, localized marketing, in-store activation, OOH campaigns, and personalization at scale, both online and offline. Success requires omnichannel campaign orchestration, channel mix optimization, retail pricing models, data-driven merchandising, and strong -functional and partner management skills.

The operations function sits under a Chief Operating Officer, with Directors of Supply Chain, Logistics, Retail Ops, and Customer Service, plus specialist managers in demand forecasting, last-mile fulfillment, store operations, and regulatory compliance. The team ensures AI-enabled forecasting, dynamic inventory allocation across warehouses and store networks, synchronization between e-commerce and in-store stock, in-store fulfillment (e.g., BOPIS/Click & Collect), and returns orchestration. They support both centralized retail networks and decentralized networks. Key competencies include ERP and WMS proficiency, last-mile and in-store logistics, retail SLAs, and inventory visibility across all nodes.

The finance function is led by a Chief Financial Officer, supported by Senior Managers in FP&A, Controlling, and Analytics, plus embedded FP&A analysts. The team delivers omnichannel revenue modeling, capex planning for retail expansion, margin optimization across DTC and wholesale, scenario forecasting, and cash flow management across physical and digital business units. This includes oversight of value chain modeling, and pricing sensitivity analysis across channels. Core skills include financial modelling, unit economics by channel, SQL/BI fluency, and cross-functional finance business partnering.

Organization Chart

Deep Dive: Structures, deliverables & skills

Commercial

Structure: Chief Commercial Officer with multiple Directors (Marketing and Sales).

Team deliverables: Omnichannel acquisition strategies; integrated attribution models (digital + offline); CRM and loyalty across channels; performance marketing including retail media and OOH; localized and seasonal retail campaigns; in-store and digital brand storytelling; content and visual merchandising; personalization across touchpoints; strategic retail and wholesale partnerships; international channel expansion; unified cross-channel ROI tracking.

Operations

Structure: COO with Directors for Supply Chain, Logistics, Retail Operations, and Customer Service; Managers for Forecasting, Store Fulfillment, Warehousing, Transportation, Retail Operations, and Regulatory & Compliance.

Team deliverables: AI-driven demand forecasting across products and locations; dynamic inventory allocation between warehouses and retail stores; multi-node fulfillment (BOPIS, ship-from-store, warehouse); in-store and online returns orchestration; stock visibility and synchronization across channels; retail SLA management (in-stock %, time-to-shelf); store operations support; global and regional logistics coordination; supplier and product data governance; regulatory compliance across retail and e-commerce.

Finance

Structure: CFO with Sr. Mgr. or Heads in FP&A, Controlling  and Analytics; Accountants, and FP&A analyst embedded in functions, channel specialists are added in later stages.

Team deliverables: funding strategy (Series A/B/C, Debt); investor reporting; legal & tax; statutory & management accounts; audits; controls & compliance; vendor/contract management; treasury; working capital controls; forecasts/budgets; scenario planning; pricing/cost modelling; unit economics / value chain modelling; capital allocation decisions for investments.

How to Apply to My Business

• Assess Organizational Gaps: Evaluate if current teams can handle volume; start recruiting experienced Directors.

• Scale Processes: Codify and document processes; implement centralized knowledge base.

• Invest in Data & Systems: Hire engineers; build data infrastructure; clean data.

• Enhance Financial Rigor: Adopt analytics in each function and build finance business partnering to inform strategic decisions.

• Governance: Introduce stage-appropriate committees (e.g., Investment Committee) with lightweight charters; maintain agility.

Common Pitfalls

• Silo Formation: As headcount grows, risk of functions not collaborating. Mitigation: regular cross-functional councils.

• Headcount over Process: Focus on designing lean & scalable processes first before hiring.

• Underestimating retail complexity: Entering retail adds major operational and data challenges; plan early to adapt teams, systems, and processes.

• Overcomplex Tech Stack: Too many point solutions create integration challenges. Mitigation: periodic tech stack audits.

• Neglecting Culture & Communication: Larger teams need consistent culture reinforcement. Invest in internal communications and values.

• Delayed Decision-Making: Avoid creating new approval layers; empower teams with clear decision rights.

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