Emerging Omnichannel Commerce Channels: Social, Voice, AR, and Livestreaming
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the boundaries between commerce, content, and community are dissolving. Brands and retailers are no longer just meeting customers where they are—they’re engaging them in new, immersive ways across a growing array of digital channels. Social commerce, voice commerce, augmented reality (AR), and livestream shopping are at the forefront of this transformation, reshaping the omnichannel landscape and setting new standards for customer engagement, personalization, and business agility.
The New Frontier: Opportunities and Challenges
Social Commerce
Social commerce seamlessly merges shopping with social interaction, leveraging platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Meta to enable direct buying experiences within the social feed. This channel taps into the power of community-driven marketing, allowing brands to reach new audiences, engage in real time, and guide consumers on individualized shopping journeys. The global impact is undeniable—social commerce is projected to generate $6.2 trillion in revenue by 2030.
Opportunities:
- Real-time engagement and frictionless shopping within platforms where consumers already spend time.
- Data-driven personalization, influencer partnerships, and targeted ads to boost visibility and conversions.
Challenges:
- Standing out amid a sea of content and navigating shifting algorithms.
- Ensuring authenticity and relevance to foster trust and engagement.
Best Practices:
- Use data to understand what resonates with your audience and select influencers aligned with your brand values.
- Prioritize authentic, relatable content and leverage targeted advertising to drive results.
Voice Commerce
With the proliferation of smart speakers and virtual assistants, voice commerce is emerging as a hands-free, accessible shopping channel. Generative AI is making voice interactions more natural and conversational, opening new avenues for personalized engagement.
Opportunities:
- Convenience and accessibility, especially for users with disabilities.
- Personalized, conversational shopping experiences.
Challenges:
- Understanding and optimizing for voice search behavior, which differs from text-based queries.
- Addressing privacy concerns and ensuring seamless device integration.
Best Practices:
- Optimize product listings for natural language and long-tail keywords.
- Develop intuitive voice apps and ensure smooth, secure interactions.
Augmented Reality (AR) Commerce
AR commerce brings products to life, allowing consumers to visualize items in their own environment before purchasing. This is particularly impactful in fashion, beauty, and home goods, where visualization boosts confidence and reduces returns. By 2029, the AR and VR market is expected to reach $62 billion, signaling growing consumer demand for immersive shopping experiences.
Opportunities:
- Enhanced product discovery and reduced return rates through accurate visualization.
- Differentiation in crowded markets, especially for fashion, furniture, and beauty brands.
Challenges:
- High development costs and complexity of AR experiences.
- Ensuring compatibility and seamless integration across devices and platforms.
Best Practices:
- Invest in interactive AR experiences that inform and delight users.
- Focus on usability and cross-platform consistency to maximize reach and impact.
Livestream Shopping
Livestream commerce blends entertainment and shopping, enabling brands to broadcast product demos, promotions, and sales events in real time. This channel fosters direct interaction, builds community, and drives impulse purchases through authentic engagement.
Opportunities:
- Real-time product showcases, Q&A, and community building.
- Increased conversion rates through urgency and interactivity.
Challenges:
- Maintaining viewer engagement and managing technical aspects of streaming.
- Coordinating live events and ensuring seamless execution.
Best Practices:
- Prioritize authenticity, interactivity, and spontaneity.
- Use chat features, polls, and limited-time offers to drive participation and conversions.
Integrating Emerging Channels into a Unified Data Ecosystem
The proliferation of new channels brings both opportunity and complexity. To deliver seamless, personalized experiences, brands must integrate these channels into a unified omnichannel data ecosystem. This means aligning data, messaging, and systems to ensure consistency and reduce friction throughout the customer journey.
Key Steps:
- Build the Right Tech Stack:
- Leverage composable, MACH-compliant (Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native, Headless) architectures for flexibility and scalability.
- Integrate CRM, ERP, and AI solutions to streamline operations and enable real-time insights.
- Synchronize Data Across Channels:
- Create a single source of truth by connecting customer, product, and operational data.
- Use data factories and advanced analytics to orchestrate, de-duplicate, and aggregate data for actionable insights.
- Leverage Unstructured Data:
- Incorporate insights from social media, reviews, and livestream interactions to uncover trends and inform product development.
- Act Fast, Iterate Often:
- Avoid analysis paralysis by prioritizing quick wins and evolving your ecosystem incrementally.
Industry-Specific Considerations
- Fashion & Beauty: AR try-ons and livestream tutorials drive engagement and reduce returns. Social commerce and influencer partnerships are especially effective for discovery and conversion.
- Home Goods: AR visualization tools help customers see products in their space, while livestream demos can showcase features and answer questions in real time.
- Consumer Electronics: Voice commerce and livestream Q&A sessions can simplify complex purchase decisions and build trust.
Building for Agility and Innovation
A modern omnichannel strategy requires more than just technology—it demands a culture of agility and continuous innovation. Composable architectures empower brands to quickly add new channels, test emerging experiences, and scale what works. Real-time data integration enables hyper-personalization, smarter inventory management, and operational efficiency.
The Path Forward:
- Break down data silos and foster cross-functional collaboration.
- Invest in data quality, governance, and privacy to build trust and compliance.
- Continuously optimize based on real-world results and evolving consumer expectations.
Why Publicis Sapient?
With deep expertise in digital business transformation, Publicis Sapient helps brands design, implement, and optimize omnichannel data ecosystems that support innovation across emerging channels. Our proven methodologies, accelerators, and industry insights empower clients to deliver seamless, profitable commerce—today and into the future.
Ready to future-proof your commerce strategy and capitalize on the next wave of consumer engagement? Let’s connect and shape the future of omnichannel together.