Walk into almost any retail strategy meeting in 2025 and you'll hear the word "omnichannel." It's one of those terms that's been around so long it risks becoming meaningless, yet the reality is, most brands still haven't figured out how to deliver on the promise. Yes, they may offer in-store pickup. Yes, they may know your email address from an online order. But that doesn't mean the experience is actually unified.
The real work of omnichannel isn't in infrastructure. It's in intimacy.
For all the technological investment, most brands still treat the in-store customer and the online customer as two different people. In doing so, they miss opportunities, not just to drive sales, but to build the kind of relationships that keep customers coming back.
Let's talk about why that gap still exists, and how more retailers can finally start closing it.
Where online wins (and where it doesn't)
Digital commerce has become incredibly efficient. We know what customers click on. We A/B test subject lines and buttons. We measure open rates, attribution, cart abandonment, time on page, every inch of the journey is trackable and optimizable. On top of that, generative AI is giving e-commerce teams a new way to scale content, messaging, and product recommendations in a more personalized way than ever before.
And yet, despite all that progress, conversion rates for online stores hover around 1%. Compare that to the 30% conversion rate that many stores see from foot traffic, or even higher when an in-store appointment is scheduled.
Physical retail offers something digital never can: a full sensory experience. The ability to touch, try on, ask questions, and get tailored recommendations. Store associates can pick up on body language, use tone of voice, and create moments of delight in a way no algorithm ever could. The most successful omnichannel brands aren't the ones with the most polished apps or the fastest shipping times. They're the ones who know how to turn their data into dialogue.
Physical retail offers something digital never can: a full sensory experience. The ability to touch, try on, ask questions, and get tailored recommendations. Store associates can pick up on body language, use tone of voice, and create moments of delight in a way no algorithm ever could
The real promise of bridging online and offline
So what does it actually look like when a brand bridges that gap? It looks like an in-store associate knowing that you just returned a dress from last week's order, and being ready with a new style to recommend when you walk in. It looks like a thank-you text after an in-store visit that includes a product you were eyeing online. It looks like relationships, powered by data, scaled by tools, but delivered with a human touch.
What needs to change
If we want more brands to deliver on this vision, we need to shift how we think about the store, and the systems that support it.
1. Empower Store Associates Like Marketers
Most retail marketers have a full suite of tools to segment, personalize, and analyze customer behavior. Why shouldn't store associates have the same? Giving them a CRM that ties into your e-commerce data, loyalty program participation, and communication history with your store customer and purchase data turns them from order-takers into revenue drivers.
2. Invest in Relationship Infrastructure, Not Just Transactional Tech
POS systems are great at capturing a sale. But what about capturing intent? What about following up after a visit? If your in-store experience ends at the register, you're missing a massive opportunity to build loyalty. Brands should equip their store teams with tools that help them reach out, follow up, and follow through.
3. Unify Data Silos to Unify the Customer Experience
Many brands still treat online and in-store as two different channels with two different teams. But customers don't think that way. They just want a cohesive experience. Unifying your customer data, from marketing platforms, loyalty tools, and e-commerce systems, means you can finally meet customers wherever they are, with the context they deserve.
4. Make Attribution Work Both Ways
We've spent the last decade optimizing for online attribution, knowing what email drove what sale. But what about the in-store visit that happened because of an SMS? Or the online order that followed a great conversation with a store associate? True omnichannel attribution is about understanding how each touchpoint contributes, and rewarding teams accordingly.
What the future looks like
The best brands are already leading the way. We're seeing companies turn physical stores into relationship hubs, equipped with the data and tools to create high-touch experiences at scale. They're treating store teams like an extension of marketing and CX, not just sales. And they're using metrics like repeat visit rate and lifetime value (not just daily sales) to guide their strategy.
Customer expectations have changed. They no longer see a difference between your .com and your flagship. What they care about is whether you remember them. Whether you understand what they want. Whether the experience feels human, even if the tools behind it are digital.
Bridging the online-offline gap isn't a luxury anymore. It's the new standard. And the brands that master it won't just sell more, they'll build loyalty that lasts.