Retailers Meet Your Omnichannel Customer – Trends and Tactics

Launch real-time, contactless checkout at the last-mile; shrink queue times by up to 40%; boost impulse purchases. Equip your staff with mobile terminals, share instant stock visibility, place a promo at the edge of space to influence choice.

Industry observations show disruption reshaping planning cycles: Amazon relies on two-hour delivery windows; Kohls tests kerbside, returns; physical stores learn speed beats volume during peak moments.

Key moves: segment by shopper touchpoint, equip staff with portable scanners, deliver editor-picked promo at the moment of decision; measure effect at contactless checkout when relief is needed on the shopper's side.

The last mile space defines friction; it could impede impulse purchases unless clear next steps are visible via in-app prompts, kerbside hold, shelf signals.

Learned lessons from Kohl's; shows that when promo messages align with real-time data, conversions rise by double digits within a week; this rhythm shows how small shifts in space, layout differentiate performance across channels. This difference in layout drives performance across channels.

Practical Omnichannel Playbook for Retailers After Starship’s £17M Investment

Implement a 90-day sprint that merges data, fulfilment, marketing around guest-centric care; leverage Starship’s £1M infusion to seed a centre of truth, fast-track parcel visibility via Veho, boost sponsored promotions across Żabka stores; accelerate the path from click to delivery.

• Centre of truth

  Connect POS, online store data, parcel status in a single repository; this hub becomes the baseline for buying signals; stock moves, store-level plays; ensure żabka, johnson, veho networks feed data continuously.

• Fulfilment velocity

  Deploy micro-fulfilment at next-mile locations; leverage Veho parcel visibility to shorten transit times; aim for increased delivery speed, higher customer-centric satisfaction; reduce failed deliveries.

• Customer-centric experiences

  Tailor recommendations for the e-shopper across channels; use Johnson & Żabka data to illuminate buying patterns; send personalised offers after a browsed item; during checkout; post-delivery.

• Visibility | sponsorship

  Sponsor placements to shift mainstream awareness; use a mix of owned and partner channels to grow touchpoints; track highlights such as CTRs, conversions, incremental revenue.

• Operational plays

  Create hundreds of micro-milestones; assign owners; review weekly; adjust inventory, pricing, promotions in real time; ensure returns process remains frictionless for customer needs.

• Opportunities | risk

  Map opportunities across stores, e-commerce, parcel networks; implement phased rollout during quarters; maintain an issue log to capture blockers; accelerate fixes.

• Measurement | learning

  Establish a dashboard showing buying behaviour, channel mix, parcel performance; include a view KPI option for stakeholders to view in multiple languages.

• Financial discipline

  Prioritise cash-efficient experiments; optimise stock across Żabka, Johnson partnerships, broker networks; track years of runway, projected gains, investment ROI.

Becomes a practical route by aligning teams around a shared centre; a real e-shopper experience that feels personal, fast, reliable; those opportunities to scale next-phase pilots, with hundreds of stores participating within months.

Segment the omnichannel shopper by behaviour, channels and intent

Stop treating shoppers as a single profile; segment by behaviour, channels, intent; tailor messaging at each touchpoint to unlock response, delivering measurable outcomes; beyond the sale becomes the priority.

Behaviour cohorts include: top-frequency store visitors, information seekers, price-sensitive shoppers, returns-driven sessions. Each cluster reveals triggers: quick re-engagement for staff, tailored content for user segments, location-based prompts in-store, cross-channel reminders via push, SMS. In practice, allocate budgets to each cohort; optimise delivering staffing on store floors; digital content strategies; reminder channels.

Channel blueprint: shop, online site, mobile app, call centre, social, out-of-home media require harmonised data surfaces; unified ledger fed by POS, web analytics, app events, contact-history logs; this unlocks accurate next-best actions. Even in disruption markets, the bottom line improves when staff can act on a single, coherent signal rather than siloed data.

Forecasting discipline: embed intent signals into demand models; incorporate out-of-home touchpoints to refine location-based offers; gottlieb analytics show returns volatility rises with promotional bursts; sellers face pressures amid disruption; forecast windows by bottom segment; align stock; staff; delivery; logistics with each forecast.

Practical steps: build a central profile repository; unify data from shop, website, app, call centre; implement three to four dynamic segments; configure triggers to deliver timely offers; operate controlled experiments to measure incremental lift; keep learning loops active to refine forecasting, disruption-ready strategies for retailers.

Design unified journeys with real-time data across shops, apps, and delivery

Implement a real-time data fabric unifying product data, forecasting signals, delivery status; merge inputs from shops, apps, provider networks to orchestrate live user experiences.

Target Asian markets first; deploy edge collectors at flagship shops, mobile apps, courier partners; stream signals to a single view to reduce latency from minutes down to seconds; cutting cost; increasing responsiveness.

Data governance defines fields: timestamp, location, channel, stock arrival, price; construct a single signal stream; use AI-driven forecasting to predict demand; capture information from providers to inform decisions.

Aim to tailor offers using unified signals; seize opportunities to increase conversion; focus on a well-tuned approach to move sellers towards faster delivery; photograph touchpoints to compare experiences across shops, apps, delivery.

Measure cost, difference, performance; move away from delays; compare supplier arrival times; keep provider relationships strong; use alternative routes to mitigate delays; such measures help managers keep networks resilient.

Ensure inventory visibility and consistent pricing across online and in-store

Adopt a centralised inventory suite delivering real-time visibility across online storefronts; physical centres. Implement a single pricing engine to meet parity across every touchpoint; enhance margin visibility.

Tag items with RFID in fulfilment centres; synchronise stock counts across channels; enforce price parity within a 21% variance across platforms.

Rely on a data hub ingesting POS, e-commerce and warehouse feeds; access is universal for teams and partners; where stock moves, visibility updates instantly.

Across Europe, Polish grocery suppliers report a 12% stock-out drop following parity pricing plus full visibility.

Offer mutual access to channels via a single control panel; dynamic price rules; additional controls; mutually beneficial options; rapid reconciliation.

Target 98% inventory accuracy; refresh every two minutes for all SKUs.

Rozycki, Vice President for Europe Fulfilment; William, Head of Strategy; think tanks track behaviour shifts; helping supplier collaboration.

Add cost transparency; reliability metrics; re-commerce offering broadens access for sellers.

Result: increased demand satisfaction; higher margins; better control across multiple channels; grapple with cost-to-serve; increase measurable gains.

Optimise last-mile options: click and collect, kerbside pickup, and driverless delivery pilots

Implement BOPIS with real-time inventory across 25 top locations; target 98% accuracy; pair with kerbside pickup featuring a 6-minute arrival window; pilot driverless delivery in 2–3 urban locations; collaborate with Veho as last-mile partner; Orlen-backed hubs provide cross-dock support; track total cost per order; pickup conversion rate; return rate; guest inquiries.

Positioned as a seamless experience, the platform includes live status messages; carrying estimates update in real time; guests receive arrival windows; content guides cross-channel delivery; evolving shopper expectations require such transparency; brand credibility grows with sustainable options; Johnson-backed micro-hubs back the shift.

Driverless pilots require safety; regulatory clearance; cost discipline; key metrics include total cost of ownership; on-time arrival rate; guest satisfaction.

Workforce plans address shifting roles; training equips workers for switching from manual moves to kerbside coordination; sustainable routes reduce emissions; carrying tasks becomes more efficient; the shift supports workers' backs, with clearer career paths.

Location strategy uses platform data to expand gradually; each location becomes a micro-hub; total location coverage grows; guest wait times drop; arrival visibility live; the difference appears in loyalty; higher conversion; stronger financial returns; offers become more attractive to guests.

Evaluate Starship partnerships: pilot design, data sharing, and ROI benchmarks

Recommendation: launch a three-month pilot in a single metropolitan corridor, April start; doorstep grocery deliveries via Starship; fixed pick-up kiosks; define success criteria: incremental return per order, reduced cost per delivery, higher shopper satisfaction; limit SKUs to a curated set; align with brand partners; schedule monthly reviews with clear milestones.

Data sharing plan leverages anonymised delivery metrics; provide Starship with anonymised order value, dwell time, route efficiency, pick-up windows; privacy controls remain intact; Neren collaboration announced in October; Polska outlets announced partnerships with autonomous fleets; this setup supports mutual learning without compromising shopper privacy.

ROI benchmarks target a 10–15% incremental return on delivery cost within the pilot; payback period expected by month 3; proof appears in baseline versus post-pilot comparisons; the project shows lower delivery costs, faster doorstep pickup, higher cart size; readers will observe how autonomy reduces reliance on human couriers; metrics include cost per delivery, order value uplift, on-time rate.

Market dynamics reveal disruption in grocery channels through doorstep options; Polish outlets announced partnerships with autonomous fleets; October milestones reveal eager shoppers embracing home delivery; today’s shoppers prefer predictable pickup windows; home becomes the favoured doorstep for routine purchases; readers observe a shift toward autonomous service models.

Operational blueprint for scale: start with two brands within a single district; since April the model proved traction; plan to extend to additional neighbourhoods by October; keep ROI hurdle tight before extension; align with supplier calendars; capex for Starship units; ongoing maintenance, support; this approach becomes transformed into a repeatable workflow; back-end data sharing remains the basis for ongoing optimisation.