The New Rules of Retail: Reaching Consumers Across Every Channel
Marketers aren’t struggling with a lack of data. They’re struggling with disconnected strategy.
Today’s buyers don’t think in channels. They see your CTV ad, search your brand three days later, click a paid search ad, and purchase in-store the following week. But most brands still operate in silos with no real connection between their digital and in-store efforts.
That’s the gap. And it’s killing performance.
73% of retail shoppers now move across channels. If your marketing strategy doesn’t do the same, you’re losing both revenue and efficiency. By adopting a more holistic approach to growth and client strategy, marketers are positioned to close these gaps and meet today’s consumers where they are.
Start with How People Actually Shop
Most brands still segment by who a customer is. The brands winning in omnichannel segment by how they shop.
Start by identifying three core behavioral groups:
- Digital-first buyers live online. They discover, compare, and convert without ever stepping into a store. Their paths are trackable — email clicks, site visits, social engagement. Use that data to retarget, personalize, and optimize LTV.
- In-store loyalists do the opposite. They value real-world experiences: talking to staff, trying products. Attribution is more complicated, but not impossible. Geo-lift studies and POS-integrated loyalty apps help tie digital efforts to in-store results.
- Hybrid shoppers alternate between digital and physical touchpoints. They may browse online, visit a store, and buy later through an email promo. Their journeys are more complex but highly profitable. Tools like identity graphs and clean rooms can unify this data into a single customer view.
Make Channels Work Together
Once you understand how customers move, your job is to make every handoff seamless. A good omnichannel strategy doesn’t just meet customers where they are — it helps them move forward.
Social & Display
Use social and display to connect product interest with action.
- Geo-target creative to highlight store locations or regional promos ● Retarget site visitors with store-only or limited-time offers
- Sync dynamic ads to reflect real-time browsing and in-store activity
Search
Search should convert intent into purchase with as little friction as possible. ● Prioritize local queries like “near me” or “available now”
- Use ad extensions for maps, curbside pickup, and direct calls
- Cover branded and competitor terms to capture demand sparked elsewhere
Email & SMS
Email and SMS should be personalized to a customer’s real behavior.
- Personalize based on purchase path — online buyers vs. in-store shoppers ● Trigger loyalty perks tied to channel or behavior
- Drive specific next steps: “Show this in-store” or “Tap to reorder”
Connected TV (CTV)
CTV should spark action — not just awareness.
- Use QR codes to link directly to product pages or store locators
- Retarget viewers across digital channels with follow-up messaging ● Keep CTV creative consistent with digital and in-store campaigns
In-Store
In-store activity should feed your digital engine.
- Promote online exclusives or app incentives via signage
- Trigger email/SMS flows post-purchase or post-visit
- Use loyalty data or POS signals to personalize future marketing
What does this look like in the real world? Imagine this customer journey: A running shoe brand launches a CTV campaign during NFL games to promote its latest line. A viewer sees the ad, but doesn’t act right away. Two days later, they search for the shoes on Google and click a paid ad offering same-day pickup at a nearby store. In-store, they try on the shoe
and make a purchase. Later that day, they receive a thank-you email with an introductory promo code, along with an invitation to join the brand’s loyalty program.
Fix What You’re Getting Wrong About Attribution
Cross-channel marketing demands cross-channel measurement. That means ditching last-touch models and evaluating how all touchpoints work together.
Think of it this way: You’re traveling from LA to NYC. You take an Uber to LAX, fly across the country, then take the subway to your final stop. The taxi, flight, and subway are all essential to reaching your goal but traditional attribution models would give 100% credit to the subway, the touchpoint that happened last.
This attribution blindness causes marketers to cut upper-funnel investments that appear “underperforming” but actually drive their most valuable customers. It’s like canceling the flight because only the subway gets credit for the arrival.
What to do instead:
- Track journey-level metrics like assisted conversions, AOV by path, and LTV by segment
- Implement multi-touch attribution to understand how each channel contributes over time
- Unify your data using CDPs and clean rooms to connect media, CRM, loyalty, and in-store performance
Be Intentional, Not Just Present
Omnichannel isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about showing up with purpose — in the right moment, with the right message, for the right customer.
That means:
- Segmenting by behavior, not just identity
- Orchestrating journeys, not launching one-offs
- Measuring total impact, not last clicks
The brands that get this right aren’t just driving revenue, they’re making every dollar on every channel work harder.
