Analyzing The Shift To Omnichannel Retailing

I've been thinking about what DTC brands get wrong about omnichannel expansion recently. The temptation is to try to be everywhere at once. But the real winners are strategically aligning each channel to build a holistic growth engine. Here’s how to do it right → First, you must have channel-specific thinking. Every channel needs its own playbook. A helpful framework to structure your efforts... DTC Website: • Focus on basket building • Higher AOV targets • Full-price strategy • Data collection hub • Customer relationship building TikTok Shop: • Single-product purchase reality • Organic content engine • Lower AOV expectations • Limited data access • Treat as a retail channel Amazon: • Multi-pack strategy • Bundle economics • Marketplace presence • Competitive monitoring • Specialized management Next up, the Integration Challenge → The biggest mistake brands make is trying to force the same strategy across all channels. Example: One brand we spoke with increased shipping costs on TikTok Shop to push customers to their website. Instead of fighting the platform's natural behavior, they should have optimized for it. You must also consider your unit economics because each channel has its own cost profile. - TikTok Shop might be a loss leader but drive retail success. - Website sales might have better margins but higher customer acquisition costs. - Amazon might have lower margins but better operational efficiency. Here is the new omnichannel playbook: 1. Channel Optimization - Build channel-specific content - Adjust pricing strategies per platform - Create platform-specific bundles - Set realistic KPIs for each channel 2. Data Strategy - Accept data limitations on newer platforms - Focus on first-party data where possible - Build cross-channel customer profiles - Use creative solutions for retention 3. Team Structure - Specialized expertise per channel - Clear ownership of metrics - Flexibility to shift resources - Mix of in-house and agency support The brands that will win aren't the ones just running around trying to be everywhere - they're the ones being intentional about how they show up in each place. Success also isn't about ideal profit extraction across all channels. It's about understanding each channel's role in your broader ecosystem and optimizing accordingly. Key Takeaway: Don't try to make every channel work the same way. Start building channel-specific strategies that work together to drive overall growth. 

Grateful to be featured in the "Shoptalk Hot Takes" interview by Blenheim Chalcot and ClickZ.com alongside George Looker to unpack omnichannel commerce. 5 key takeaways and tactics from my conversation: 1. Design for Customer Continuity, Not Just Channel Expansion 💡 71% of customers expect brands to personalize interactions across every touchpoint. Tactical: Map out customer journey across channels, then design experiences that recognize and reward continuity—cart persistence, loyalty rewards, browsing history sync, etc. 2. Build the Infrastructure: Unify Data Streams Across All Touchpoints 🧠 Data fragmentation = missed opportunity Tactical: Integrate POS, e-commerce, mobile, social, and marketplace data into a centralized data lake or unified commerce platform. 3. Establish a Single Source of Truth for Customer Profiles 🔍 Brands with unified profiles see up to 2x better campaign performance. Tactical: Implement Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) to consolidate behavioral, transactional, and engagement data into unified customer profiles. 4. Partner Strategically for Scale, Not Just Stack ⚙️ A bloated tech stack doesn’t equal agility As I noted, Retailers are getting sharper about which partners can scale with them. Ecosystem efficiency matters more than ever. Tactical Step: Audit your tech stack and partnerships consistently. Prioritize partners that offer extensibility, future-proofing, and proven omnichannel success. 5. Measure What Matters: Unified KPIs Across Commerce 📈 You can’t optimize what you don’t measure holistically Tactical: Align your analytics stack to report holistically across channels—tie marketing to merchandising, CX to LTV, and inventory to revenue. 🧠 Bottom line: think holistically, move strategically, and build ecosystems that scale experience with agility, not just transactions. Complete list in comment 👇 #ecommerce #omnichannel #unifiedcommerce

shifting how we viewed digital took chubbies from an 8-figure, negative-profit ecommerce store to a 9-figure, profitable omnichannel brand as a digital-first brand believing DTC was the future, this was a tectonic shift we wish we realized it sooner...would have saved many a sleepless night so you don’t make the same mistakes we did, here’s 1) the mistakes 2) 3 lessons 3) 3 actions you can take today let's do it *the mistakes* at chubbies we built our ecommerce business to 8 figures of revenue before we really understood the role of digital for consumer brands for the first few years, we were fully bought into the ecommerce revolution we thought the role of digital was to offer a convenient place to purchase items you love without the hassle of going to a retail store we thought online retailers were competitors we wanted to own the transaction for brand control and support our ability to measure LTV: CAC since DR, discounts, ROAS and revenue mattered most at the time then we almost went out of business *3 lessons* 1) digital is not for transactions, it's for connections as we deconstructed our business to find scalable profitable growth, we realized the internet’s true value to brands it was not just a vehicle for transactions the value of the internet to consumer brands was that the internet had become the house of brand the internet became where consumers connect with brands across social networks, mailing lists, websites, etc the internet was the place consumers share their thoughts and emotions towards brands freely and openly in a way that billions of people could consume the internet was where consumers learned about their favorite brands, diving into the story and purpose our realization was that this basket of digital behaviors towards our brand was our brand 2) the best way to see the impact of brand was by being omnichannel truth be told, we couldn't make brand work the way we needed it to when DTC only only later did we learn that the measurable impact of "brand marketing" was far higher when we started to be available more broadly in retail compared to being DTC only ...but we had to get into retail (and show up the way we wanted) to make this possible 3) leaning into number 1 ALSO generated the retail demand that made number 2 possible (something we didn't fully realize the value of at the time) *3 actions you can take today* 1) take a hard look at the assumptions driving your view of digital DTC are they still correct? do they need to be reassessed? given where you are as a brand, what's the right strategic view for YOU 2) if the connection vs transaction view resonates, vet your internal capabilities to see if they match what's needed to build those connections put simply, do you have an internal content machine? 3) broaden the definition of 'customer' add the retail buyer into your filter when thinking about how to maximize desire for your brand hope this helps 

Gen Z is swooping in to save brick and mortar. We've spent years talking about the "retail apocalypse" and the death of in-person shopping. But something unexpected is happening: According to an article by CNBC, nearly 63% of Gen Z respondents did holiday shopping in stores. Only about 50% said they would make purchases on retailers’ websites and apps during the season, lower than any other generation besides baby boomers. They're ACTIVELY choosing to visit malls and physical stores. But why? The answer lies in how Gen Z views shopping: It's a social experience, not just a transaction. They're combining digital discovery with physical validation The immediacy of in-store purchases appeals to a generation used to instant gratification. And physical retail offers a break from endless scrolling and digital fatigue This isn't your millennial's mall trip. Gen Z blends digital and physical: --TikTok for discovery --In-store for experience and immediate gratification --Social shopping with friends IRL --Mobile payments and digital loyalty programs in physical spaces The future of retail isn't digital OR physical. It's both. Smart brands are creating omnichannel experiences that cater to this hybrid shopping behavior. What's old is new again. Who would have thought the generation that grew up with smartphones would be the one to resurrect physical retail?

The retail customer experience has changed forever thanks to AI. But it's really different today vs. 5 years ago. Let me explain: Five Years Ago... “Best-seller” recommendations. AI-driven tools mostly sorted shoppers into broad categories, leading to cookie-cutter suggestions. Chatbots were scripted and inflexible, often unable to handle real-time changes in inventory or complex customer questions. Predictive analytics were nascent. Forecasting focused on historical sales data rather than real-time signals. Customer Journeys lacked synchronized data. Shoppers experienced one offer in-store and a disconnected experience online. Supply Chain insights largely relied on static spreadsheets, causing delays in restocking and missed sales opportunities. December 31, 2024... Advanced AI uses purchase history, browsing behavior, and contextual cues to shape customized product offerings. Conversational AI handles returns, provides order updates, and even suggests complementary products. Natural language processing ensures smoother, more organic interactions. Predictive intelligence uses real-time data from multiple sources such as social trends and even weather patterns to anticipate shifts in demand, optimizing inventory distribution. Omnichannel integration means buying, returns, and post-sales service function seamlessly across physical stores, mobile apps, and e-commerce sites. AI is the backbone role in harmonizing data. Smart supply chain systems adjust restocks automatically and reroute shipping for efficiency. Fewer out-of-stock items, better stock rotation, and tighter coordination between vendors and retailers. Finally, and here's the wow factor, high-fidelity image recognition, computer vision, and generative AI let consumers visualize products on themselves or in their environments with far greater realism and accuracy. Link to Kolor-Virtual-Try-On in the comments. Just amazing. #ai #retail #customerexperience #machinelearning #digitaltransformation

Today’s consumers expect seamless experiences across multiple touchpoints, whether they’re interacting with a brand online, in-store, or on mobile. As a result, enterprises need to master omnichannel strategies to meet these evolving expectations. According to Harvard Business Review, omnichannel customers spend 10% more online and 4% more in-store than single-channel customers, making it an essential approach for driving revenue. Take Starbucks as an example. Their omnichannel strategy allows customers to order via mobile app, earn rewards, and pick up in-store—all without missing a beat. The integration between the app, the physical store, and customer loyalty systems creates a frictionless experience, encouraging repeat business and fostering brand loyalty. For enterprises, the key to a successful omnichannel strategy lies in data integration. By unifying customer data across all channels, businesses can create personalized experiences and provide consistent service. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also enables companies to make more informed decisions based on comprehensive data insights. In a world where customers move fluidly between online and offline environments, enterprises that can deliver a truly omnichannel experience will stand out, boosting both engagement and profitability. #OmnichannelStrategy #CustomerExperience #EnterpriseGrowth #DataIntegration #RetailInnovation #CustomerLoyalty #DigitalTransformation

Many brands think they have an omnichannel strategy… But what they really have is multichannel. Here’s the difference (and why it matters): 👉 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 = Separate touchpoints that run in parallel. Each channel works on its own website, store, email, social — but they’re disconnected. 👉 𝗢𝗺𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 = A unified ecosystem where data, experiences, and interactions flow seamlessly between channels. It’s one continuous journey, not fragmented steps. Why should you care? 🔹 𝗢𝗺𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 4% more in-store, 10% more online, and their lifetime value is 30% higher than single-channel customers. 🔹 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. 89% customer retention rates, vs. 33% for companies with inconsistent touchpoints. 🔹 𝗠𝗶𝗱-𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲. They can build cohesive systems faster than enterprise giants bogged down by complex infrastructure. It’s not just about being present on multiple platforms anymore. It’s about orchestrating every interaction, so the customer feels recognized — wherever they engage. 💡 Imagine this: - A customer researches online → visits the store → gets a personalized follow-up email reflecting both interactions. - They’re recognized by the system across all channels, from web to mobile to in-person. That’s not the future. It’s what winning brands are doing today. So the question is — are you still running multichannel… or are you ready to embrace 𝗼𝗺𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹? P.S. If you found this helpful, consider resharing ♻️ — someone in your network might need to hear this too. --------------------- I'm Raoul Didisheim Pain Points I solve: ⦿ You need your new brand to get noticed. ⦿ You need to update your online presence to regain lost market share. ⦿ Your exit strategy is solid, but your online presence requires polishing to maximize the sale price. 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀