From online to in-store: using an omnichannel strategy to enhance the customer experience

The customer journey now rarely sticks to a single channel. Whether online or in-store, consumers expect a smooth, unified, and engaging experience. For ecommerce sites that also have physical points of sale, turning site visitors into in-store buyers, and vice versa, is a challenge you can’t afford to ignore. In this context, a clearly defined omnichannel strategy and tools such as POS payment terminals are essential assets for your success.

Standardized customer experience: the foundation of a successful omnichannel strategy

For an omnichannel strategy to be effective, you first need to deliver a standardized customer experience. Whether they buy online or in-store, customers should find the same interface, the same prices, the same offers, and the same service. This consistency builds trust in your brand: your customers always know what to expect, both online and in your stores. The interface has to be coherent between the ecommerce site and the physical point of sale. For example, identical visuals and a similar product layout make the customer journey easier and give your brand a strong, reassuring image. Consumers naturally move between digital and physical channels, often to compare or research before buying. The 2024 Fevad report shows that for an in-store purchase, 62% of consumers seek information in-store, while 53% do their research online.

Synchronizing prices and promotions: transparency has to be total

More than 1 in 2 French consumers (55.2%) like having the choice to shop online or in-store, according to the Shipstation and Packlink study. So you should expect customers to want the same prices and promotions online and in-store. This synchronization is a crucial part of an omnichannel strategy and helps avoid customer frustration caused by price differences. Brands that manage to keep prices and offers consistent strengthen their relationship with customers and increase their chances of building loyalty. Achieving this necessary alignment means you need centralized management of stock, orders, and current promotions, so that any update is automatically reflected across both channels.

Access to customer history: the key to better personalization

Beyond consistent pricing, personalizing the customer experience also relies on easy access to purchase history. This tracking first allows merchants to understand their customers’ preferences and offer them personalized deals. Centralizing your customers’ various data and purchases also lets you build loyalty programs that stay in sync between your online store and your physical shop. However, this approach to customer history shouldn’t stop at past sales and can become a powerful tool to anticipate future needs. Tracking the customer journey in every channel is crucial to meet each customer’s expectations and deliver a consistent, personalized experience.

The Victor et Violette example: a successful move to omnichannel

To show the impact of omnichannel, let’s look at the inspiring example of Victor et Violette, an organic cosmetics brand founded by Emmanuelle Cassin. Launched online in 2017, the brand quickly attracted customers looking for natural cosmetics. Building on that success, 2 Victor et Violette physical stores now offer a tangible experience in the city of Toulouse. To synchronize its online and in-store operations, the brand chose the integrated checkout solution PrestaShop POS (Point of Sale). Its different features make it possible, among other things, to unify stock management, promotions, and the customer database. This setup has helped Victor et Violette keep its offers consistent and deliver the smoothest possible omnichannel customer experience. The Victor et Violette example shows how an omnichannel approach, supported by the right tools, can enrich the customer experience and make it easier to manage these stores in a synchronized way.

Why does the POS terminal also matter for your ecommerce site?

The POS (Point of Sale) terminal plays a central role in your omnichannel strategy. Unlike a simple payment tool, the POS connects in-store sales data with that of your ecommerce site. By integrating a connected POS, merchants can offer flexible purchase options. Options like buying online with in-store pickup (click & collect), or returning and exchanging products in-store, even for orders placed online. An integrated POS also lets you synchronize promotions and discounts across all channels, so customers benefit from the same purchase conditions online and in-store. For brands that launch temporary points of sale (pop-up stores), the POS is a perfectly suited mobile solution that keeps stock management continuous and makes the customer journey smoother.

Conclusion: omnichannel as a continuous dialogue between digital and physical worlds

Omnichannel is, in a way, a commitment—a promise to bring your brand to life through every interaction, every channel, every encounter. It’s a universe where digital and physical speak to each other, where every product and every piece of advice given in-store opens the door to another experience, which might be online next time. This strategy requires effort to keep your balance between 2 worlds that are, after all, quite distinct. In this balancing act, omnichannel means staying tuned to changes and offering a seamless continuity between the physical and digital worlds.