Omnichannel stopped being a differentiator the moment every brand’s pitch deck started claiming one. Consistent stock visibility, click and collect, and unified pricing across channels are now the entry ticket to a retailer conversation, not the reason you win it.
What buyers now assume by default
Real-time stock accuracy across store and online, a returns process that works regardless of purchase channel, and pricing that doesn’t contradict itself between app and shelf edge — these used to be selling points. Now their absence is a disqualifier, and their presence barely registers as a plus in a pitch.
What actually differentiates now
The brands standing out are the ones treating the channels as genuinely connected rather than parallel — a shopper who researches on mobile and buys in-store should get a coherent experience, not two disconnected ones that happen to sell the same product. Content that adapts to where a shopper is in their journey, rather than a single static asset repurposed everywhere, is where the real gap between brands now sits.
Where to actually invest
Spend less energy proving your omnichannel basics work — assume the retailer expects them — and more on the handful of moments where channels genuinely intersect: pre-purchase research, post-purchase support, and loyalty. That’s where a brand still has room to look meaningfully better than its category, rather than merely compliant.
Want a clear-eyed view of where your omnichannel execution actually stands against the category?
Steven Woodgate, Founder, Emmer Green — former Head of Category (Technology), John Lewis & Partners; former senior commercial leadership roles at Samsung, Dell Technologies and Microsoft.
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