Shoppers no longer think in “channels”. They see an ad on Instagram, check the product on a website, and try it on in a store. They expect all of these steps to feel like one smooth journey.
According to McKinsey, omnichannel has moved from a “nice to have” to a “must have”. This guide explains what omnichannel retail is and how it differs from multichannel. It also shares five UX tips for a seamless experience.
Key takeaways
Omnichannel retail is a strategy that connects all of a brand’s sales and marketing channels into one seamless shopping experience. Customers can browse, buy, get support, and return products on any channel, without starting over.
Here is a typical omnichannel journey in fashion retail:
Each step solves a pain point. The result is a seamless e-commerce experience where customers find the right product quickly and at a fair price.
Omnichannel retail combines offline channels, like stores and kiosks, with online channels. These include websites, apps, social media, email, marketplaces and chatbots.
Multichannel retail sells on several channels that work separately. Omnichannel retail connects those channels so data, inventory and customer history stay in sync. Every omnichannel experience is multichannel, but not every multichannel experience is omnichannel.
Research published by MDPI describes omnichannel as an evolution of multichannel. It fixes the gaps that appear when channels work in isolation.
Picture this: an app shows a product as “in stock”. You drive to the store, and it is sold out. That gap comes from poor data sync, and it quickly erodes trust in the brand.
| Factor | Multichannel | Omnichannel |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Each channel on its own | The whole customer journey |
| Data | Stored separately per channel | Shared in real time |
| Inventory | Not synced between online and stores | One live view of stock |
| Customer experience | Customers often start over | Customers pick up where they left off |
| Returns and pickup | Limited to the channel of purchase | Buy, pick up or return anywhere |
A connected experience keeps customers coming back. These figures show why retailers are prioritizing it:
89% vs 33%
Average customer retention for companies with strong omnichannel engagement vs weak (Aberdeen Group).
77%
Of customers say valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do (Forrester).
Top 5
Leading retailers named omnichannel personalization a top-five priority (McKinsey, 2022).
Based on our work with retail and fashion brands, here are five user experience ideas that make omnichannel retail work.
An online fitting room, also called a virtual try-on, lets shoppers see how clothes look without visiting a store. It uses augmented reality (AR) or AI to place garments on the shopper’s photo or a digital avatar.
For example, Google’s virtual try-on shows clothes on models with different skin tones, body shapes and sizes. Shoppers can picture how an item might look on them.
Flexible order options let customers shop the way they prefer. This raises satisfaction and sales. The three most popular options are:
| Option | How it works | Customer benefit |
|---|---|---|
| BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) | Order online, collect at a nearby store | No shipping fees or waiting; check the item on pickup |
| BORIS (buy online, return in-store) | Order online, return at any store | Faster refunds or exchanges, no return shipping |
| Buy in-store, ship to home | Buy in the store, get it delivered | No carrying heavy items; buy even when the store is out of stock |
An omnichannel chatbot is an AI assistant that supports shoppers across every channel with the same context. It helps retailers in three ways:
Planning an omnichannel experience for your retail brand?
Our UX team can map your customer journey and design connected experiences across app, web and store.
Endless aisle lets in-store shoppers order items that are out of stock or not sold in that store. They use a kiosk, tablet or app to buy from the retailer’s full online range.
Many people still prefer to shop in person. According to Zippia, 65% of consumers shop in-store to avoid delivery fees. And 61% want to see or try items before buying.
Stockouts can send these shoppers away empty-handed. With endless aisle, they can still order the item for pickup or home delivery, so the sale is not lost.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) uses small tags and readers to track products with radio waves. Each tag stores a unique ID that a reader can scan without a direct line of sight.
In retail, RFID helps you:
Accurate stock data is what makes BOPIS, endless aisle and real-time availability work across channels.
For more on building the online side, read our guide to e-commerce website design best practices.
Omnichannel retail is no longer optional. Shoppers expect to move between store, app and website without friction, and brands that deliver this earn their loyalty.
Technology makes it possible, but good UX makes it feel effortless. That is where the right design partner helps.
Lollypop Design Studio has over a decade of experience designing and building end-to-end digital products. We work with brands across e-commerce, fashion, healthcare and telecom. Our team works from a UI UX design studio in Vietnam and offices worldwide.
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Omnichannel retail is a strategy that connects all of a brand’s online and offline channels into one experience. Customers can browse, buy, get support and return products on any channel without starting over.
Multichannel retail uses several channels that work separately. Omnichannel retail connects them, so inventory, data and customer history stay in sync across every touchpoint.
BOPIS stands for “buy online, pick up in-store”. Customers order online and collect the item at a nearby store, avoiding shipping fees and delivery wait times.
UX design keeps the journey consistent and simple across channels. It removes friction such as wrong stock information, repeated questions and confusing checkouts, which improves retention and sales.
Common technologies include virtual try-ons, AI chatbots, endless aisle kiosks, RFID inventory tracking and unified order management systems.
