Most marketers have stopped asking whether omnichannel matters — customers settled that by behaving across channels as a matter of habit. The useful 2026 questions are sharper: how much does omnichannel actually affect outcomes, what do customers now expect, and why do so many experiences still feel disconnected? Dumping fifty numbers on a page doesn’t answer that. The value is in the patterns, and they point to one reality: customers have already become omnichannel while many organisations are still catching up. Below are the figures worth knowing — each with its source and what it means.
A note on sourcing: the figures below come from third-party research (Aberdeen Group, McKinsey, Omnisend, Salesforce, and large retail surveys) and are summarized for context. Some are widely cited across the industry but trace back to a few original studies, so treat them as directional benchmarks and verify against the primary source before quoting in formal materials.
Omnichannel Statistics at a Glance
A snapshot of the most-cited figures heading into 2026:
Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
Shoppers using multiple channels in a journey | ~73% | Large retail survey (46,000 shoppers) |
Retention — strong vs weak omnichannel | ~89% vs ~33% | Aberdeen Group |
Annual revenue growth — strong vs weak | 9.5% vs 3.4% | Aberdeen Group |
Purchase rate, 3+ channel campaigns vs single | +287% | Omnisend (2020) |
Purchase frequency, omnichannel vs single | +250% | Omnisend (2020) |
Omnichannel shopper lifetime value | ~30% higher | Industry research (ITC) |
B2B channels used in the buying journey | ~10 (up from ~5 in 2016) | McKinsey B2B Pulse |
Consumers wanting seamless cross-channel | ~90% (only ~29% delivered) | Firework-cited research |
Customers Are Already Omnichannel
The most important signal isn’t about technology — it’s behaviour. Customers no longer follow neat, linear paths; they discover a brand on social, visit the site later, read reviews elsewhere, open an email, talk to support, and return days later to buy. Modern shoppers now average around six touchpoints before purchase, up from about two fifteen years ago, and more than 60% of consumers participate in omnichannel shopping (McKinsey). That’s why the figure that ~73% of shoppers use multiple channels in a single journey matters so much: presence on many channels is now the baseline, not the differentiator. The real difference is whether those channels feel connected — and that’s where most brands still operate in fragments, as we explain in omnichannel vs multichannel marketing.
Engagement & Retention
Retention is where omnichannel makes its strongest financial case. Aberdeen Group’s widely-cited research found that companies with strong omnichannel customer engagement retain about 89% of customers, versus roughly 33% for those with weak engagement — a gap of more than 50 percentage points. Retention rarely comes from one brilliant campaign; it comes from consistency: the experience feels easy, communication feels relevant, the company seems to remember the customer, and the relationship doesn’t reset every time they switch channels. Customers forgive an occasional bad message far more readily than a pattern of disconnected ones.
Revenue, Frequency & Lifetime Value
The commercial signals are just as clear. Omnisend’s 2020 analysis found campaigns using three or more channels drove about 287% higher purchase rates than single-channel campaigns, with purchase frequency ~250% higher and average order value roughly 13% higher on omnichannel versus single-channel. Omnichannel shoppers also carry about 30% higher lifetime value than single-channel customers, and Aberdeen put annual revenue growth for strong omnichannel performers at 9.5% versus 3.4% for weak ones. Lifetime value is the most telling figure here — it reflects the long-term quality of the relationship, not the success of one touchpoint. A fragmented journey can still produce a sale; a connected one is far more likely to produce a relationship, and relationships compound.
B2B Omnichannel Statistics
B2B has moved just as fast. McKinsey’s B2B Pulse research finds buyers now use around ten interaction channels in their journey, up from about five in 2016, and a large share of B2B revenue now flows through digital self-service and remote sales. Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer reports that ~82% of B2B buyers want the same experience they get as B2C consumers. The takeaway: B2B journeys are more multi-channel and multi-stakeholder than ever — a theme we expand in our guide to B2B omnichannel marketing.
Expectation vs Delivery: The Gap
The most revealing pattern is the gap between what customers want and what brands deliver. Around 90% of consumers want seamless interactions across channels, yet only about 29% of businesses deliver that experience (Firework-cited research), and Salesforce finds roughly 73% of customers expect companies to understand their needs while 62% expect proactive anticipation. SAP’s 2026 Engagement Index adds that only about one in five brands reach high engagement maturity. The problem usually isn’t a lack of channels — most organisations already have websites, email, CRM, ads, social, and support. It’s coordination: data stays fragmented, teams work from different views, and channels don’t react to one another in real time. The business looks omnichannel from the inside; the customer still feels the seams.
Market Growth
Investment is following the behaviour. Estimates vary by analyst, but the omnichannel retail market is generally put in the USD 10–12 billion range for 2025–26 and projected to roughly double to USD 25–29 billion by the early 2030s, at compound growth rates around 14%. The exact numbers differ between firms, but the direction is unanimous: businesses now treat omnichannel infrastructure as core operating architecture, not a discretionary upgrade.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
Taken together, the data tells a consistent story. Customers already behave in omnichannel ways; brands that create connected experiences see measurable gains in engagement, retention, loyalty, and lifetime value; and many organisations still struggle to deliver because their systems, teams, and workflows aren’t aligned around continuity. That combination creates both pressure (rising expectations) and opportunity (continuity still creates advantage). The clearest takeaway: the strongest performers aren’t the brands using the most channels — they’re the ones coordinating channels most effectively.
What Marketers Should Do in 2026
The numbers point to a few priorities: think in customer journeys rather than isolated channels; treat customer context as the foundation, because without shared visibility personalization stays shallow; treat continuity as a performance issue, not just a brand one; and focus omnichannel investment on orchestration over expansion — in many cases the next leap won’t come from adding a platform but from making existing platforms work together. For the how-to, see our omnichannel marketing best practices and the complete omnichannel marketing strategy.
Conclusion
The latest omnichannel marketing statistics reveal something simple: omnichannel is no longer an emerging trend — it’s becoming the default way customers engage with brands. People research, compare, communicate, and buy across channels without thinking about the systems behind them, and they expect the experience to feel connected. The businesses benefiting most aren’t those using the most channels; they’re the ones creating the most continuity. Because customers don’t measure experiences by channel count — they measure them by whether every interaction helped them move forward.
FAQs
What percentage of shoppers use multiple channels?
Around 73% of shoppers engage across multiple channels during a single buying journey, based on a large retail survey of roughly 46,000 shoppers. Modern buyers average about six touchpoints before purchasing.
How much does omnichannel improve retention?
Aberdeen Group research found companies with strong omnichannel engagement retain about 89% of customers, versus roughly 33% for those with weak engagement — a gap of more than 50 percentage points.
Does omnichannel actually increase revenue?
The data suggests yes: 3+ channel campaigns show ~287% higher purchase rates (Omnisend), omnichannel shoppers carry ~30% higher lifetime value, and strong performers report ~9.5% annual revenue growth versus 3.4% (Aberdeen).
How many channels do B2B buyers use?
McKinsey’s B2B Pulse research finds B2B buyers now use around ten interaction channels in their journey, up from about five in 2016 — reflecting increasingly complex, multi-stakeholder buying.
Why do so many omnichannel experiences still feel broken?
Because the challenge is coordination, not access. Most brands have the channels; their data and teams remain fragmented, so channels don’t share context in real time and customers still feel the seams.
