Omnichannel Excellence: 5 Retail Brands Winning in 2026

Retailers have been talking about omnichannel for a decade. The pandemic forced everyone to accelerate. And yet, most retailers still treat online and store as separate channels competing for budget and attention. Different leaders. Different metrics. Different strategies. That is not omnichannel. That is multichannel with better marketing.

The brands winning in 2026 do not think in channels. They think in customer journeys. The distinction between online and offline has become meaningless to them, because it is meaningless to their customers. And the difference shows up in their results.

These five retailers have built omnichannel experiences that actually work. Here is what they are doing right, and what you can learn from them.

Nike: Owning the Digital-First Athlete

Nike’s omnichannel strategy is simple to describe and hard to execute. They are building a direct relationship with athletes while using stores as experience hubs.

Nike stores increasingly function as fitting rooms and experience centers for Nike.com. You can try products in store, get sized by employees trained as athletes, then order online for home delivery or in-store pickup. The stores do not carry every SKU. They carry the products that matter for that local market. The inventory is networked, not localized.

Nike’s app ecosystem keeps members engaged between purchases. The apps include Nike, Nike Run Club, and Nike Training Club. Membership provides early access, exclusive products, and personalized recommendations that drive both online and store traffic. The apps are not separate from retail. They are retail, extended, continuous, and personal.

Why it works: Nike owns the customer relationship directly. They collect data from app engagement, in-store visits, and purchases. That data powers personalization that makes every touchpoint feel relevant. The customer does not think about channels. They just experience Nike.

Target: The Frictionless Fulfiller

Target’s omnichannel game is built on one thing: making it impossibly easy to buy from them however the customer wants.

Target’s fulfillment options are extensive, almost comically so. Same-day delivery via Shipt. Drive-up pickup in parking lots. In-store pickup at dedicated counters. Standard shipping from distribution centers. Ship-from-store for items available physically. Each option has been optimized for speed, convenience, or cost depending on customer preference. Target does not force customers into one model. They offer all the models.

The Target app remembers preferences, suggests items based on purchase history, and enables quick reordering. Drive-up is so frictionless that customers literally never leave their cars. I have watched it happen. It is absurdly convenient. That is the point.

Why it works: Target invested heavily in fulfillment infrastructure while keeping stores as the hub. They accepted that different customers want different fulfillment options, and they built for all of them. The last mile is where omnichannel wins or loses. Target won the last mile.

Warby Parker: Testing Online, Buying In Store

Warby Parker pioneered the home try-on model that made online eyewear comfortable. Now they are flipping the script with stores that function as final fitting destinations.

Customers select frames online, have five pairs shipped to their home, then either complete purchase online or visit a Warby Parker store for professional fitting and adjustment. The stores do not carry every frame. They carry the most popular styles and the new releases that drive trial. The trial happens at home. The expertise happens in store. Each channel does what it does best.

The company recently expanded with a newer format: smaller PDX stores focused purely on eye exams and fittings with minimal frame inventory. This is a different format but follows the same omnichannel philosophy. Trial where it makes sense. Expertise where it adds value.

Why it works: Warby Parker’s model reduced the friction of online eyewear shopping while keeping the in-person expertise that some customers need. They did not force customers into one channel or the other. They optimized the journey end-to-end.

Nordstrom: The Stylist Model

Nordstrom’s omnichannel approach centers on human expertise augmented by technology, not replaced by it.

Nordstrom’s stylists, both in-store and remote, have access to inventory visibility across every location. A stylist in Florida can see that a jacket a customer wants is available in New York and have it shipped overnight. Personal Stylist appointments can happen via video call with the same access to endless inventory. Technology extends expertise. It does not replace it.

The Nordstrom app enables purchase history tracking, size recommendations based on fit data, and easy reordering. But the human relationship remains central. Some customers want self-service. Some want white-glove treatment. Nordstrom offers both.

Why it works: Nordstrom built its brand on service. They extended service excellence into digital channels rather than replacing it with self-service. High-value customers especially appreciate the attention. They pay for the experience, not just the products.

Best Buy: The Service-First Reseller

Best Buy’s omnichannel strategy turned a retail extinction-risk category, consumer electronics, into a growth business by focusing on service and support.

Best Buy stores are increasingly showrooms for products that customers can buy anywhere. The differentiator is expertise. Geek Squad support, in-home consultations, installation services, and product education sessions make Best Buy valuable even when prices are higher than Amazon. You can buy electronics anywhere. Getting them set up, optimized, and supported? That is where Best Buy lives.

Buy online, pick up in store is fast and reliable. But the real differentiator is that Best Buy can also send a technician to your home to set up your new TV or troubleshoot your network. Store extends to home. Home extends to store. It is one continuous experience.

Why it works: Best Buy figured out that for complex products, service is the differentiator. You can buy a TV anywhere. Getting it set up, optimized, and supported is where Best Buy adds value. They became the solution, not just the supplier.

What These Winners Have in Common

Looking across these five retailers, several patterns emerge. They did not stumble into omnichannel excellence. They designed for it.

They do not optimize channel by channel. They optimize the customer journey end-to-end. If that means sacrificing efficiency in one channel to serve the customer better, they do it. Channel optimization creates local maximums. Journey optimization creates global maximums.

They invest in infrastructure. Fulfillment networks, inventory systems, employee training. All of these require real investment. The retailers who treat omnichannel as our store also sells online fail. Those who build for integration succeed. Infrastructure is the unglamorous work that makes everything else possible.

They know what they are optimizing for. Warby Parker optimizes for trying before buying. Best Buy optimizes for service. Target optimizes for convenience. Nike optimizes for direct relationship. You cannot be everything to everyone. Pick your lane and own it.

They use technology to extend experience, not replace it. The human element remains central. Technology makes humans more effective, not obsolete. Nordstrom’s stylists are not replaced by apps. They are enhanced by them. Best Buy’s Geek Squad is not obsolete. It is more valuable than ever.

The Bottom Line

Omnichannel is not a project with an end date. It is a way of thinking about the business from the customer’s perspective backward. Every decision asks: Does this make the customer’s journey better? If not, do not do it. If yes, find a way.

The retailers winning in 2026 figured out that customers do not think in channels. They just want what they want, how they want it, when they want it. The retailers who win are the ones who make that happen, seamlessly, consistently, effortlessly.

Your job is to make that happen.