What the omnichannel customer journey is worth in annual spend
The short answer
To value the omnichannel customer journey, count customers who bought both online and in store over 12 months, then compare their annual spend with online-only and store-only customers. Match store and online records to one person first. Unmatched records split each omnichannel customer into two single-channel ones and shrink the gap.
Why it matters
Omnichannel customers can be your most valuable group, and a store closure or a weak website can push them back to one channel. Knowing their count and spend gap tells you what is at stake when you change store hours, delivery options or click and collect.
The question to ask
Copy this into Lexi as written.
What the answer looks like
Illustrative output on sample data
Illustrative example: how Lexi answers this for a furniture retailer with 120,000 customers active in the past year. It matches customers across point of sale (POS), ecommerce and loyalty, so each person counts once.
- Store only: 66,000 customers, $640 average annual spend
- Online only: 34,000 customers, $410
- Both channels: 20,000 customers, $1,580
What the data shows
Omnichannel customers are 17% of the base and spend about 2.5 times as much as store-only customers.
What it means
Part of that gap was there before. The same customers averaged $1,050 the year before they bought in both channels, so about $530 appears after they go omnichannel.
What to do
Prompt store-only customers to shop online, such as a fabric swatch or delivery tracking sign-up at checkout.
The before-and-after view suggests omnichannel lifts spend, though it cannot prove cause. Would you like the store-only group split by spend band?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between omnichannel and multichannel?
Multichannel means selling through several channels that run separately, each with its own customer records. Omnichannel means the channels share one view of the customer, so a store purchase, an online order and a return all sit on the same profile. A spend comparison by channel only works with that shared view.
Do omnichannel customers spend more because of the channels?
Only partly. Customers who already spend heavily are more likely to try a second channel, so a raw comparison overstates the effect. Compare the same customers' spend before and after they first bought in both channels, and take that head start off the gap before you use it in a business case.
How do I measure omnichannel customer lifetime value?
Track each customer's revenue and gross margin across every channel from their first purchase, on one resolved profile. Compare cumulative value at 12, 24 and 36 months for customers who became omnichannel early with those who stayed single-channel. Include returns, which often cross channels when online orders come back to a store.