Win Customer Loyalty With Omnichannel Retail Strategies

February 10, 2026 • 5 minute read
Author: Phyllis Jackson, Senior Manager, US Marketing, UPS

Key Points

• By 2027, 22.6% of all global retail purchases will happen in digital channels.¹
• Because 44% of shoppers launch their journey with a search engine and 41% head straight to business’s or other online retailer’s website,¹ retailers have to be present and available when customers prefer to shop.
• 84% of shoppers are more likely to shop with an omnichannel retailer that offers box-free, label-free returns and fast refunds.⁴

Customers don’t keep regular store hours anymore. The omnichannel shopping experience allows consumers to shop anywhere at any time — seamlessly hopping between sales channels with ease. The growing social commerce landscape with shoppable content, on-platform checkout, and multiple payment options has accelerated the trend towards an always-on retail environment that prioritizes convenience and consumer choice.

The expectation of 24/7 product access is a reality that’s here to stay. Meeting those expectations takes more than a good e-commerce website. It takes end-to-end connectivity, cross-channel visibility and logistics that can flex — online, in-store, and everywhere in between.

Delivering Delight, Wherever Customers Click

Consumers are comfortable being omnichannel, and 33% of the world’s population shops online. By 2027, 22.6% of all global retail purchases will happen in digital channels.¹

The United States is the leader in e-commerce sites, accounting for 50% worldwide.¹ This underscores the importance of having a strong, effective, user-friendly digital presence. In fact, for retailers to remain competitive, e-commerce has become table stakes. Because 44% of shoppers launch their journey with a search engine and 41% head straight to a business’s or other online retailer’s website,¹ retailers have to be present and available when customers prefer to shop. And when customers do make a purchase, they expect flexible delivery (even on weekends), and appreciate the extras, such as package protection and up-to-the-minute tracking.

The Rise of Social Commerce

Underscoring the importance of a strong online presence is the growing influence of social commerce, a skyrocketing $1.7 trillion market.2 Social commerce happens when a shopper buys a product through a social media platform (think Facebook or TikTok Shops) because they saw a video or post about the item from an influencer or content creator. The brands that win at social commerce are those that connect the dots between e-commerce, social platforms and in-store environments to offer seamless, omnichannel experiences that combine convenience with personal service.

Of course, even the best delivery solution has to play nicely with your existing retail systems. Through our business solutions network, you seamlessly integrate your delivery solution with your front-end operations through a flexible API.

Tracking That Gives Everyone Peace of Mind

Approximately 91% of customers track their orders.³ They want to see where their package is and get real-time updates, photo proof of delivery, and the option to sign or pick up in person. Retailers that provide visibility are delivering the kind of positive customer experiences that can lead to brand loyalty.

Real-time tracking has specific operational benefits, too. Fewer ‘Where’s my order?’ calls reduce friction and free up your team to spend less time fielding questions and more time delivering the service that keeps people coming back.

Returns Made Easy

Returns policies are a growing influence on shopping decisions. In addition to providing a safety net to mitigate the risk of buying something that doesn’t meet their needs, returns can be a competitive differentiator. Consider these facts:

• 84% of shoppers are more likely to shop with a retailer that offers box-free, label-free returns and fast refunds.⁴
• 46% say they have abandoned a purchase because the returns policy wasn’t convenient.⁴
• 67% say a poor returns experience may make them less likely to shop with the retailer again.⁴

Elevating your returns policy can be as simple as including preprinted labels with the package. Or you can send the customer an email that contains a barcode for label-free returns or a link to print the label. The payoff? Less cart abandonment, more consumer trust and smoother operations across your network.

“Establishing your returns policy and communicating it to shoppers throughout the online shopping experience, even before checkout, can help build trust and loyalty,” Arnold explains. “Consider ways to make your returns policy simple and customer friendly, such as letting customers drop off at your store, ship back to the store from home, or drop off at various The UPS Store^® locations. We work with retailers on return solutions designed to meet every scenario.”

E-commerce makes retail global, regardless of physical store presence. Customers expect to have access at any point in time—across any point in their shopping journey. By delivering the right always-open experience, retailers can stay top-of-mind for shoppers and increase the opportunity for greater sales.

¹ “51 eCommerce Statistics in 2025,” SellersCommerce, June 19, 2025.
² “The Social Commerce Revolution: Understanding It and Getting Involved,” Forbes, May 22, 2024.
³ “Verte Research Reveals Consumers Are Obsessed with Order Tracking, Visibility,” SalesTechSeries, accessed June 30, 2025.
⁴ “2024 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry,” conducted by National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, a UPS Company. Sample size: N = 2,007.

Individual results and options will vary. UPS makes no promises of any specific outcome in this document but instead provides only example outcomes based on certain UPS customer experiences.