As consumers become more sophisticated, brands have learned that connecting with their customers means meeting them where they are.

Enter ‘Omnichannel Marketing,’ an approach that focuses on the customer’s “journey.”

This marketing strategy acknowledges that brand engagement can begin in an online channel, continue in a different digital frequency, but finish their conversion at a traditional offline network–or any combination of the possible ways a customer can engage with them.

Thomas Ligor of New York discusses what experts have to say about omnichannel marketing and how it’s reshaping the consumer landscape.

An Explanation of Seamless Commerce

In a word, it means “seamless.”

Omnichannel Marketing acknowledges that customers are now sophisticated, and can choose any of the available touchpoints that the brand has provided, making them all work together as a cohesive unit.

Gone are the days that customers only use one or two touchpoints during their entire customer experience. According to Forbes, touchpoints have now tripled, and providing a seamless experience as the customer moves across them can mean an 18.96% engagement rate for marketing campaigns.

Imagine a customer engaging with Starbucks. They see an ad while working on their desktop, decide their mid-afternoon infusion of caffeine is due, so they reload their Starbucks card just before getting up from their desk. While walking to the store, they open the app, order their coffee in advance, and skip the line to pick it up.

That is seamless commerce in a nutshell.

Despite the multiple channels used, as far as the customer was concerned, it was just one long conversation with Starbucks.

Personalization and Data-Driven Insights

In a successful omnichannel marketing strategy, the customer is in one continuous conversation with the brand.

There are no awkward silences or need to repeat themselves as they transition from one channel to the next. The channel the customer uses is no longer important, the brand strives to meet them wherever they are, while also remembering where they’ve been.

McKinsey & Company states that one-third of Americans have integrated omnichannel features into their buying habits since the COVID-19 pandemic, and that these habits are likely to persist.

For brands, this means that proper analysis of their data can show which touchpoints specific customers choose to use, and tailor their message to reflect that insight.

On a macro level, knowing which touchpoints are contributing the most to a sale, the brand can adjust their marketing spend accordingly.

Omnichannel Success Hinges on Flexibility and Adaptability

There’s no longer a one-size-fits all approach to marketing. Taking customer data and updating strategies real-time to reflect this data is vital to ensure a successful campaign.

The internet has made the world seem smaller than ever.

As new channels emerge and trends affect markets half-way across the world, staying ahead of competitors means brands should always be on their toes.

Knowing what message each demographic resonates with, which touchpoints they use, what aspects of the experience they value most, and making adjustments along the way is what’s needed to deliver in an omnichannel world.

In the age of online shopping and digital stores, captivating shoppers’ attention is a growing challenge for brick-and-mortar stores. One technique that has long proven its effectiveness is visual merchandising, a marketing practice that strategically pairs the display of products and services against floor layouts, color, lighting, and other elements to attract customers’ attention.

With over 55 stores, Chelsea Market, a bustling marketplace in New York City’s Meatpacking District, remains a strong player in the retail world by capitalizing on visual merchandising. Below, Thomas Ligor of New York explores the world of visual merchandising in Chelsea Market, the techniques stores use, and the success they find.

Framing the Architecture of Stores for Success

Once the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) factory, Chelsea Market boasts a historic value to visitors and locals. The market is open to the public on the ground floor, allowing visitors and shoppers to roam through a long strip of stores selling food, clothing, furniture, and more.

The simple architecture of the warehouse provides a pivotal role in making the market inviting and exciting for visitors. Combined with the magic of visual merchandising, stores can add their touch to their space while accentuating the architecture of the historic building. A physical store’s architecture utilizes visual elements like floor layout to the positioning of items on windows and shelf displays to create a unique experience for visitors.

Using Lighting to Set the Shopping Atmosphere

Lighting can also play an important role in creating the right ambiance for shoppers. Warm lighting can make a store feel friendlier and smaller, while cool lighting can make a store feel spacious. Additionally, shoppers visiting a store with bright lights might feel more energized to shop quickly while shoppers visiting a store with dim lights may take their time in casually looking through items.

For example, Chelsea Market Baskets plays with warm, dim lighting and invites visitors to a cozy experience. With wicker baskets spilling out as their storefront, the store matches the grandness of their historic home. Visitors are immediately drawn to the treasure trove of the store and feel invited to browse through all the little and big items the store has to offer.

Showcasing Products and Services in Center Stage

With over 9 million visitors per year, stores at Chelsea Market have just over a few seconds to spark interest in passersby, making visual merchandising instrumental. Fashion stores like Anthropologie utilize the traditional modeling of mannequins to display their latest wardrobe items for customers to see at first glance.

Others play with an open-door concept. For example, ALF Bakery brings a historical touch to its storefront by showing visitors the process of breadmaking. Visitors are immediately drawn to the hustle and bustle of the bakers, who market their fresh, warm-baked products front and center.

Conclusion

In-store shopping provides an experience still unmatched by digital shopping, and Chelsea Market is a marketplace that proves it.

From dressing up mannequins to displaying baked goods on the windows, the stores of Chelsea Market wield visual merchandising to continue keeping both locals and tourists entertained and intrigued.