Best Ecommerce Experience and Best Retail Experience Examples From Global Brands and Retailers

Today, retailers and global brands use several methods to provide the best omnichannel shopping experience for their customers. 

By creating seamless pathways from one shopping channel to the next and infusing engaging content into every touch point, brands are not only capturing new customers but building loyalty among existing ones.

It’s a new era for ecommerce, and brands and retailers that don’t keep up with shifting shopper demands stand to fall behind the competition.

Here’s a closer look at what makes a strong ecommerce experience, as well as the best ecommerce experience examples from some of the world’s top, innovative brands.

What Is an Ecommerce Experience?

An ecommerce experience is a collection of feelings and perceptions a consumer gets when interacting with a brand across all the channels they prefer — including social media, websites, ads, mobile apps, and more.

Brands and retailers that create compelling and cohesive experiences across these channels foster brand awareness, trust, and ultimately conversions with their customers.

Think of it this way: When shoppers step into a brick-and-mortar store, they have certain expectations: quick customer service, efficient purchasing options, and the ability to interact with products on shelves.

Online shoppers have the same expectations — plus a few extras. They want:

• In-depth product details that tell them exactly what they’re getting,
• Engaging product content, such as videos, images, and 3D renderings,
• Smooth purchasing pathways that don’t require them to type in their information multiple times, and
• Quick website loading speeds that enable them to get where they want fast.

The best ecommerce experiences are built on convenience, speed, and engagement.

What Are the Benefits of Building Engaging Ecommerce Experiences?

According to Salsify’s “2024 Consumer Research” report, the top three reasons consumers choose to shop online are convenience (65%), better pricing (65%), and 24/7 shopping availability (44%).

The convenience and ease of shopping online might make shoppers decide to ditch the brick-and-mortar store, but it’s the engaging ecommerce experience they get that locks in the sale.

A staggering 78% of shoppers in Salsify’s research decided to purchase online because they saw engaging product images, 78% because the listing included a detailed product description, and 72% because they could access customer reviews.

These stats illustrate that engaging ecommerce experiences are essential to a modern online business’ success.

How Can Brands Improve Ecommerce Experiences?

It’s clear that today’s shoppers want seamless and cohesive omnichannel experiences — but creating these experiences can be a heavy lift for busy brands and retailers.

Product experience management (PXM) systems can help brands and retailers automate time-consuming manual processes and ensure product content is consistent across all sales channels.

For example, a PXM enables teams to centrally manage all product content in one central source of truth. It’s a one-stop shop for team collaboration, integrated workflows, and full-scale shopper experience management. 

By unifying your product data in one central system, you can ensure that your shoppers get the best ecommerce experience at every touch point.

5 of the Best Retail Experience Examples

1. Califia Farms — Providing Engaging Content on Product Detail Pages

Califia Farms has succeeded in enhancing shopping experiences and growing sales by providing better product content on product detail pages (PDPs). 

According to Califia Farms’ director of ecommerce, Leonard Ortega, engaging product content is at the core of the brand’s digital transformation. The brand partnered with Salsify to create a single source of truth for all of their product data to ensure their PDPs have the most up-to-date and consistent assets. 

For example, when shoppers click “unsweetened almond milk,” they can see ingredients, key benefits, nutrition facts, and product reviews. They can also click and zoom out product photos to visualize how an unsweetened almond milk bottle looks in real life.

Image Source: Califia Farms

To replicate Califia Farms’ success, you should invest in a product information management (PIM) platform to centralize your data, including product, customer, and other types of data. This ensures everyone in your business can have access to data anywhere at any time, and you can distribute product content accurately and consistently across channels. 

Additionally, survey your existing customers to determine what information they want to know when buying from you. 

Consider:

• Ingredients
• Sources of ingredients
• Specifications
• Ratings
• Reviews
• Certifications from trusted third parties, etc.

You may also want to consider using enhanced product content like high-quality photos and videos to take your PDPs to the next level. 

2. Walmart — Leveraging Technology To Improve Omnichannel Shopping Experiences

In 2021, Walmart reported Q3’s total revenue of $140.5 billion, and their ecommerce sales grew 8% to about $17.3 billion. In 2023, that number grew to $53.4 billion, according to Statista — and their ecommerce sales show no sign of slowing down.

One of the most critical factors for Walmart’s success is its laser-focus on technology and digitally enabled shopping experiences. 

For example, the retailer updated "signage on the exterior and interior of stores to reflect the Walmart app icon, creating an instant omni-shopping experience in the customer’s mind," shares Janey Whiteside, Walmart's former executive vice president and chief customer officer.

Walmart also changed how customers shop with a wide range of retail innovations like online grocery delivery, pickup towers, automated shelf scanners, store maps, and more. 

Whiteside says that Walmart constantly innovates their in-store, online, and mobile experiences to meet and exceed customers’ expectations. “We want their time with us to be enjoyable, and we’re working hard to create ways for them to easily toggle between shopping channels — or use them together,” she adds. 

3. Warby Parker — Using Live Chat to Provide a Better Customer Service

Not only ecommerce merchants but also retailers have been using live chat to assist customers better. 

Take Warby Parker as an example — the sunglasses and prescription eyeglasses brand provides a live chat popup on their website. The chat service is available every day from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., making it easier and more convenient for customers to get answers to their questions in real-time.

Image Source: Warby Parker

On the live chat widget, Warby Parker displays frequently asked questions like “how do I submit my prescription?” and customers can click each question to view detailed answers.

When customers enter a keyword into the search bar, they’ll see more questions and answers.

Using live chat, Warby Parker can reduce customer service requests, connect with customers during shopping, recommend products, announce promotional offers, and more.

According to research from Hiver, 63% of shoppers today prefer live chat over other customer service communication options. Brands have a huge opportunity to engage shoppers and influence purchasing decisions by recommending products and creating positive experiences through chat.

4. IKEA — Pursuing Digital Transformation To Provide Customers With What They Want

IKEA leverages digital transformation expertly in product development and retail store experiences, and their strategies always start with understanding customers.

The world’s largest home furnishings retailer aggressively conducts market research to determine customers’ needs and expectations. Since 2014, they have implemented a Life at Home project in more than 40 countries and published comprehensive reports on what homes mean to customers every year. 

Using insights from market research, IKEA developed products that people will need to live happily in their homes. For example, IKEA tools allow customers to build virtual kitchens, bathrooms, or offices using their own home dimensions and products on IKEA’s website. Once customers complete their design, they can add it to their cart and order online. 

In the IKEA app, customers can use the Shop & Go feature to use their own mobile device to scan, pay for items, and skip the checkout line in the store. This makes the shopping experience completely seamless and consistent.  

In 2021, digital transformation helped the retailer ​​secure “high growth for ecommerce which went from 7% of revenue to 31% in 3 years,” says Barbara Martin Coppola, former chief digital officer at IKEA Retail, in an interview with Harvard Business Review. 

5. Sephora — Offering High-Level Personalized Omnichannel Experience To Differentiate the Brand

Sephora is the master of using personalization to give customers the best cross-channel shopping experience. The personal care and beauty brand reigned supreme at the #1 spot on Sailthru’s Retail Personalization Index for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2021. 

Sephora understands well that every customer has a personal perspective on their beauty. So, the brand strives to provide the customer with a better experience and help them find a perfect fit for their needs. 

For example, Sephora allows customers to virtually try on products from multiple categories using an augmented reality (AR)-powered app from their smartphones (Sephora Virtual Artist). 

The brand also develops a voice experience on Google Home called Sephora Skincare Advisor, offering customers a convenient way to find skincare solutions from the comfort of their homes. 

Look to the Best Retail Experience Examples for Inspiration

A seamless shopping experience across channels is no longer a nice-to-have but a requirement for all brands and retailers to sustain growth. The best ecommerce experiences create lasting impressions that keep customers coming back.

Learn from the shopping experience examples from these top brands and start growing sustainably.