In the retail marketing world, omnichannel was one of the biggest trends of 2013. In the new year, its importance has only continued to grow as industry leaders explore additional ways to keep customers engaged and to use Big Data for personalized marketing. In particular, retailers are focusing on ways to create a more seamless experience for consumers. This means that to customers, the channels disappear into the background.

"Consumers don't think in terms of 'channels,' and neither should retailers," Lori Schafer, SAS retail executive advisor, explained at the 2014 National Retail Federation Convention in New York City, according to Just-Style. "They think 'I need to buy shoes today,' rather than, 'I'll buy shoes from this retailer's website instead of driving to their store today.' The retailer who moves fluidly in this channel-agnostic environment wins."

The most successful omnichannel merchants integrate their channels with comprehensive retail management software so that consumers can make purchases online, on mobile devices, in the store or over the phone just as easily. Not only does consistency over channels improve trust, it also simplifies store operations and increases opportunities to engage customers, Business2Community advised. For example, allowing customers to use coupons from their mobile devices in stores and online creates multiple ways for them to take action on deals.