Omnichannel retail strategy: Sell smarter across channels

An omnichannel retail strategy connects every touchpoint; store, app, web, channels such as email, SMS, WhatsApp, and social, so shoppers can move between channels without repeating themselves. That creates a smoother customer experience, stronger engagement, and more conversions. 

Shoppers still visit physical stores, but they also want quick, smooth digital experiences on their mobile devices. They want to browse, buy, return, and get support without repeating information at every step.  

These expectations are especially evident among Gen Z. According to the US Shopper Survey, Gen Z values a seamless experience than the shopping platform itself. They want to browse on their phone, pick up items on the way home, and make returns easily through a mobile app. If the experience feels complicated or disconnected, they quickly move on. In fact, 92% of Gen Z are more likely to buy from a brand if the message feels personal and relevant.

To stay competitive, retailers need to use omnichannel communication and follow new trends to improve customer engagement in retail.  This is where omnichannel retail solutions come in.

What is an omnichannel retail strategy?   

These channels can include email, voice, and SMS, as well as digital channels, social media, messaging apps, and live chat.   

Here are some examples: 

• Synchronizing online and in-store inventories  
• Offering buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS)  
• Using customer relationship management (CRM) tools to track customer interactions across platforms  

The goal is to engage with your brand consistently, no matter the platform. For example allowing a customer to start a conversation on Instagram and continue it via WhatsApp without repeating information, improving their overall experience.   

The rise of omnichannel usage in retail

We analyzed 628 billion interactions on our platform in 2025 to uncover how customers and brands use omnichannel communications.  

Here are the main findings about channel use on our platform for retail and eCommerce brands compared to 2024:  

• SMS remains a key channel, for notifications, OTP messages, and small pieces of information that need to be communicated quickly.
• The number of businesses using more than two channels has grown to 27% in 2025. 
• 311% increase in the use of RCS for rich media promotional messages, authentication, and two-way conversational support. 

Single channel, multichannel, and omnichannel retailing   

You can tell the difference between the three by looking at the words. But let’s break down the terms, especially focusing on omnichannel vs multichannel strategies.  

Trend 1: Increase digital engagement   

Today, 79% of brands use WhatsApp as their primary channel to connect with customers, 62% have adopted Agentic AI for use case automation and 74% are using chatbots. The first step to truly increasing digital engagement is keeping up with modern shoppers by using the chat tools and social platforms they already use. 

Gen Z now uses social media to research brands more often than they use search engines.   This means that your shoppers want to explore your products, interact with your brand, and make purchases on their social media apps.   

Trend 2: Merging online and offline retail   

Retail shopping has undergone significant changes in recent years. As customers moved toward online shopping, retailers had to quickly adapt to meet their changing expectations. However, in-store shopping remains relevant and continues to play an important role in the retail experience. 

To bridge this gap, many brands are turning to phygital marketing, a strategy that combines physical store experiences with digital tools like mobile apps, QR codes, and social channels to create a smooth, omnichannel journey for customers. 

According to the IDC Infobrief, customers prefer a mix of online and in-store buying and return options. More than half (51%) say they’re likely to switch to a competitor if flexible returns aren’t available. Nearly 60% say that the ability to buy online and pick up in-store is important.   

Research indicates that 73% of customers engage in omnichannel shopping. They expect smooth communication and service both in-store and online, no matter where they are in their journey.   

Trend 3: Automation with the right chatbots   

Chatbots are a beneficial tool for retailers to bring better experiences to customers through their omnichannel strategy. Thanks to better chatbot technology, you can now use different types of chatbots that do more than just answer basic FAQs:

Rule-based chatbot

• Quick to develop and implement   
• For faster customer service, sales support, engagement, and query resolution   

Conversational chatbot 

• Uses conversation design and natural language processing (NLP) to design conversation flows   
• For more complex conversations that replicate human-to-human interactions 

AI agents 

• Handle complex, multi-step tasks autonomously by making decisions and taking action, not just answering questions. 
• Connect to your business systems and customer data to resolve requests, execute workflows, and personalize every interaction. 
• Orchestrate seamless customer journeys across channels, with smooth handoffs to human agents when needed. 

As retailers look to automate more complex customer journeys, agentic AI is quickly becoming a strategic priority. It is the fastest-growing enterprise technology priority, growing 31.5% year over year as organizations invest in AI that can independently execute tasks and workflows.

Trend 4: Personalization and the value of customer data   

Retailers need to focus on data they collect directly from customer interactions. A customer data platform (CDP) helps you understand each customer and their activity across all touchpoints. With this data, businesses can tailor product recommendations, marketing messages, and promotions to each shopper’s preferences and behavior.  

64% of retail brands say they have centralized customer data, but many still struggle to maintain a unified view across teams. For example, marketing and customer service might use different tools without sharing insights and this creates a gap. 

To fix this, businesses need a clear, company-wide strategy. When all teams work together and share data, you get a complete view of your customers. This helps you choose the right channels, send better messages, and improve customer engagement.   

Depending on the business, they will be in different places, digitally speaking. You can create different customer journeys depending on potential touchpoints. From there, you can make each journey better, more fulfilling, and more valuable for the customer. And in the end, that will set your business apart and create a memorable experience for the customer.  

Omnichannel retail integration strategies

An omnichannel retail strategy only works when the systems behind it are connected. That means channels, customer data, inventory, orders, and service teams all need to work together.  

Retailers should focus on integration across: 

• Customer channels – website, app, email, SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, and social media 
• Customer data – so every team sees the same customer history and preferences 
• Inventory and order systems – to support buy online, pick up in store, returns, and delivery updates
• Customer service tools – so agents can see the full conversation history across channels 

Strong omnichannel retail integration strategies help brands reduce friction, improve operational efficiency, and create a more consistent customer experience. When integration is done well, customers can move from one channel to another without repeating themselves or losing context.  

6 benefits of an omnichannel strategy  

1. Offers an end-to-end shopping journey  

An omnichannel approach helps retailers design complete customer journeys, from awareness to post-purchase, across multiple platforms. You can run personalized marketing campaigns, improve customer engagement activities in retail, and create smooth transitions between channels.  

2. Simplifies inventory management across all sales channels

By connecting online and offline systems, retailers get better visibility into inventory across all locations. This reduces stockouts and overstock, helping businesses meet customer expectations more efficiently. 

3. Improves customer service and provides better customer experience  

Customers want fast, easy access to support on any channel they choose. With omnichannel communication, retailers can reduce effort for the customer, provide proactive updates, and respond quickly, boosting satisfaction and loyalty.  

4. Unifies data  

Retailers can collect and analyze data from every customer interaction, no matter the channel. Unifying data helps remove silos between teams and enables more effective customer engagement strategies across departments.  

5. Increases sales  

With more touchpoints and consistent messaging, retailers can better guide shoppers toward purchase. Omnichannel strategies support upselling, cross-selling, and re-engagement, driving higher revenue.  

6. Personalizes the customer journey  

Using real-time customer data, retailers can tailor messages, offers, and experiences to individual preferences. Personalized journeys lead to stronger customer relationships and more meaningful brand interactions.  

Omnichannel communication in retail: How it works 

Retailers use omnichannel communication to send back-in-stock alerts, special offers, loyalty rewards, order updates, delivery notifications, and automated answers to common questions.  

Here is an example of how a customer can interact with a brand across four channels and have a seamless shopping journey.  

1. Awareness  

• A customer sees your Instagram ad for a product that catches their attention.   
• You included a click-to-WhatsApp button in your ad, so the customer clicks it to ask about your offer.  
• After two days, the customer has not yet made a purchase.   

2. Consideration    

• You send a WhatsApp message offering them 10% off their first purchase when they register an account and check out.   
• The customer registers and receives a welcome email with the promo code.   
• The customer adds items to their cart through your mobile app but doesn’t complete the purchase.  
• You send a mobile app push notification to remind them of their abandoned items. 

3. Purchase

• The customer completes the purchase and gets a payment confirmation email.   
• After a few days, the customer reaches out to you through WhatsApp, asking when they can expect their delivery.   
• An Agentic AI agent quickly answers, confirms delivery for tomorrow, and offers to update delivery details.
• The next day, the customer gets a WhatsApp message with their receipt and return info.  

4. Post-purchase  

• After a great experience, retailer asks for a review via WhatsApp.  
• The customer leaves a review and follows the brand to stay informed about future promotions.  

 Examples of omnichannel in retail 

Here are two examples of brands using omnichannel approaches to improve engagement, increase loyalty, and drive business results.

Petpetgo used an omnichannel customer engagement strategy to better understand customer behavior and deliver personalized messages through channels such as SMS and email. By combining customer data with targeted campaigns, Petpetgo was able to improve customer engagement and create more relevant experiences throughout the customer journey. 

Results: 

• 2x increase in purchase frequency 
• 10% reduction in advertising spend 

eMAG uses an omnichannel approach to deliver reliable and personalized customer communications across multiple touchpoints. By integrating SMS communication into its customer experience strategy, eMAG improved operational efficiency while maintaining fast and seamless interactions with shoppers.

Results:

• 50% reduction in SMS communication costs

How to create an omnichannel retail strategy  

To meet growing customer expectations, retailers need a smart omnichannel strategy. By using data, preferred channels, and seamless integration, you can boost marketing efforts and offer better brand experiences.  

Segment customers  

Start by using customer data to build detailed customer profiles. Segment audiences by demographics, behavior, location, social media platforms, and purchase habits. For example, if you’re targeting Gen Z, use TikTok and Instagram. Offer deals like loyalty program rewards or influencer promotions that match their shopping habits.  

Discover the right channels  

Know which channels your audience actually uses. Use customer preferences to guide your investments. Frequent shoppers might prefer loyalty apps, while occasional buyers respond better to email discounts or targeted ads on social media.  

Map the journey  

Build journey maps for your top customer segments. Plot each step from awareness to post-purchase and find friction points. For instance, a customer sees an influencer post, clicks the tagged brand, browses your Instagram, and buys through a retargeted ad. A strong omnichannel strategy supports this kind of seamless integration across all touchpoints.  

Communicate across channels  

Use the best channel for each step: social media for awareness, email to nurture, and live chat or WhatsApp for support. Use online tools to improve in-store visits, like helping staff check stock or answering questions on social media.  

Add automation  

Support your strategy with automation tools. Use chatbots to answer FAQs or guide shoppers through purchase steps. Transfer to a live agent with all the conversation details when necessary. Chatbot building platform and customer engagement solution make it easy to automate flows and CTAs.  

Test and improve  

Track campaign results by channel; clicks, conversions, satisfaction. Use A/B testing on subject lines, images, and timing to refine your messaging. Optimize regularly to improve ROI and customer engagement.  

Retail tools to power your omnichannel strategy

• Chatbot builder: Deploy rule-based or AI chatbots to handle customer support and engagement. 
• Customer data platform & marketing automation tool: Collect and unify customer data, then use it to send personalized, automated messages across channels. 
• Cloud contact center: Manage customer interactions across channels from a single, integrated platform.

To make these tools truly omnichannel, they need to be integrated and synced with each other and the channels you choose. This seamless connection ensures a smooth, consistent customer journey. For that, you might need support from CX experts who can help you design and implement the right customer journeys for your business. 

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