The rise of hybrid commerce

 

Hybrid commerce is more than a simple buzzword. Indeed, analysts predict that despite the rise of AI-assisted shopping, customers still often opt for a tangible shopping experience. This creates the perfect conditions for hybrid commerce, the mix of in-person and online shopping.

 

The numbers support this claim. A 2025 survey found that 75% of shoppers have researched products online before buying them in a physical store. 65% of consumers have done the opposite, checking out products in real life, then purchasing them online.

 

 

The difference between hybrid, multi-, and omnichannel commerce

Depending on the retail channels used and the varying levels of harmonization between them, we can differentiate between hybrid, multichannel, and omnichannel commerce.

 

Just like the name suggests, hybrid commerce is when offline and online retail channels are integrated for a seamless shopping experience.

 

A multichannel approach uses various sales channels at the same time to sell products, including physical stores, online marketplaces, single webshops, social commerce platforms, and more.

 

Find out all about why many sellers opt to go multichannel!

 

On the other hand, sellers going omnichannel need to ensure a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints. This requires a more integrated approach than multichannel, where sales channels are used more independently from each other.

 

Various reasons contribute to a business’s decision to choose an approach, including its brand image, the preferences of its target market, and the nature of its products. Nevertheless, brands and sellers should bear in mind that an increasing number of consumers seek out a hybrid shopping experience.

 

Currently, 27% of all shoppers choose hybrid as their favorite e-Commerce approach. When we only look at Gen Z consumers, that figure reaches 36%, indicating that this method is gaining ground amongst younger consumers.

 

 

A hybrid consumer journey

Hybrid consumer journeys can greatly differ from each other, depending on how exactly the consumer mixes the channels during the entirety of their journey.

 

Consumers can start online with research, browsing the internet, or using shopping apps for inspiration. Similarly, they can already have a product in mind and use the internet to compare specifics, read reviews, and gather all the necessary information before going to a physical store and checking out the product in person.

 

On the other hand, consumers can also use the hybrid pivot method, which means that they take their research a step further by trying on the product online via AR applications. Then they can visit a physical store and pick the product up in person.

 

Discover the potential of AR in e-Commerce!

 

A type of hybrid commerce is when consumers, having previously researched the product online, arrive in the brick-and-mortar store to scan a QR code they’d reserved online for a seamless checkout. This in-store fulfillment can be complemented by returns options across multiple channels.

 

A post-purchase hybrid approach allows consumers to sync their loyalty points for offline purchases online. Similarly, businesses can conduct follow-up activities, including personalized recommendations for product care or future purchases online via email or their brand’s app.

 

However, hybrid consumer journeys can also work the other way. Shoppers spotting a product in a physical store who want to conduct further research online may end up purchasing the product via an online-only deal.

 

 

Illustration of hybrid commerce depicting a shopper scanning a box with his smartphone in a supermarket

 

 

Core hybrid strategies

As you can see, hybrid consumer journeys are versatile and diverse. Consequently, businesses aiming to capture these shoppers need to prepare comprehensive and flexible strategies.

 

 

BOPIS/Endless aisle

BOPIS, or buy online, pick up in store, and Endless aisle are two ends of the same coin. With BOPIS, online shoppers can reserve or even purchase a product online, then pick it up in a physical store. If their chosen location has the product in stock, the pickup can usually occur within an hour, ensuring that shoppers receive it much faster than via traditional delivery. 

 

Endless aisle, on the other hand, is a service where customers in a physical store can order an out-of-stock product and have it delivered straight to their home. This is usually conducted via tablets or another digital device made available to in-store customers.

 

Both of these strategies require retailers to make their up-to-date inventory available online and constantly synchronize their actual stock levels.

 

 

Personalization and data unification

Unifying data across channels is very important for a seamless shopping experience. In hybrid commerce, businesses need to synchronize all data collected from both in-store and digital purchases.

 

Based on this data, brands and retailers can offer truly personalized offers to their customers. For example, when a product a customer has previously purchased in person is back in stock, you can send them a push-up notification via their shopping app with a tailored offer for their next purchase.

 

 

An illustration of push-up notifications with sales messaging

 

 

Tech stack

Businesses that want to maximize their hybrid offering need to have a flexible and versatile tech stack at their disposal to bridge the gap between the physical and digital world.

 

It goes without saying that a robust, possibly AI-based inventory management and dynamic pricing platform is essential for a smooth hybrid commerce operation. If your products’ nature requires it, you may also want to add a VR/AR solution to allow your customers to try them on digitally.

 

Related Topics

AI and the future of e-Commerce

 

Amazon’s newest AI tool: Help Me Decide

 

Transforming e-Commerce: Google’s AI virtual try-on explained

 

 

Successful examples of hybrid commerce

Several brands and retailers have set up successful hybrid commerce operations, paving the way for others wishing to try the concept as well.

 

Retailers like Walmart, Target, Carrefour, and Tesco have set up click-and-collect services. This means that customers can shop and pay for products online, then pick a location (usually a brick-and-mortar store of the brand) and collect their purchases prepared by a store employee.

 

Clothing brands like Nike or Zara use AR applications to allow customers to virtually try the chosen garments on. In addition, Nike’s app also lets customers check store inventories and reserve products for in-store pickup.

 

 

Risks and opportunities for brands

Hybrid commerce provides brands with an array of risks and opportunities.

 

 

Opportunities

For instance, thanks to flexible shopping options, hybrid commerce increases your conversion rates. Instead of being turned away, consumers who initially find what they were looking for are presented with a second chance to get it.

 

Moreover, hybrid commerce doubles as a data goldmine for brands and retailers. You can experience your customers’ behavior in multiple environments, learning all about their likes and dislikes. Synchronizing and analysing this data allows you to create tailor-made offers to your customers, ensuring their loyalty and continued business.

 

In addition, providing hybrid return channels further boosts customer loyalty and trust. In the era of convenient shopping, allowing your customers to use multiple channels for eventual returns or exchanges can gain you a lot of trust.

 

 

Risks

Hybrid commerce, when done incorrectly, can also present serious challenges. For example, if your inventory management tool is not up to the task, you can find yourself in the nightmare of an inventory chaos with oversold stock and empty shelves.

 

Similarly, if your marketing messaging is out of sync, your channels can start competing with each other, resulting in channel conflict or cannibalization. Misaligned pricing and availability information can lead to your online offers competing with those found in physical stores, confusing and potentially even harming customers and business partners alike.

 

While true for almost any segment, a tech failure can have devastating effects on your hybrid commerce approach. Even with all your ducks in a row, the above-mentioned scenarios can occur if any of your software glitches or data fails to synchronize.

 

 

Brand protection in hybrid commerce

Combining online and offline channels not only creates the need for perfect coordination of marketing efforts. In fact, the more channels you use, the more dangers your IP rights are potentially exposed to. This means that besides your marketing, logistics, warehousing, and so on, you also need to ramp up your brand protection efforts.

 

Luckily, this is an area you don’t have to do by yourself. We at globaleyez have developed various services and solutions that can be perfectly scaled and tailored to your exact needs.

 

In case of hybrid commerce, we’d recommend a thorough marketplace monitoring program to check for infringing offers on both online marketplaces and in physical stores. A test purchase is the perfect way to learn all the necessary information about a suspicious product’s origins and the identity of its sellers.

 

Finally, we also offer to enforce your rights and ensure the timely removal of any infringing offer from all channels, online and offline.

 

 

Conclusion

Hybrid commerce is a challenging endeavor, not without risks, but certainly not without rewards. As a growing number of consumers expect to combine online and offline shopping experiences, you may want to consider diving into hybrid commerce yourself.

 

If you do so, don’t forget to protect your invaluable IP rights in the process. Contact us if you want to learn more about that, or if you have any concerns about the safety of your IP rights, both online and offline!