Omnichannel 2.0: Indian retail sector enters new era, WhatsApp emerges as powerful channel

New Delhi, Aug 4 India’s retail sector is entering a new era of integrated customer experience, Omnichannel 2.0, where retail is defined by real-time, seamless engagement across digital and physical worlds, a report said on Monday.

"Today’s consumers demand a unified, personalised journey across digital and physical touchpoints," market intelligence firm 1Lattice said in a report.

According to 1Lattice, over 450 million Indians use WhatsApp, with 60 per cent engaging with businesses weekly, making it a powerful channel for commerce and customer service.

Meanwhile, short-form video content is becoming the new front door to shopping, especially for Gen Z and Millennials who increasingly rely on influencer reviews for product discovery, the report stated.

As per the report, the rise of open commerce infrastructure, particularly ONDC-powered platforms like Paytm, PhonePe, and WhatsApp, enables small and mid-sized businesses to digitise rapidly, without heavy tech investments.

At the same time, Generative AI is driving personalisation, optimising pricing, and automating service delivery, leading to lower support costs and improved demand forecasting for early adopters.

The new emerging technology will further boost the potential of the Omnichannel experience. However, challenges would be there.

"Brands struggle to keep up with content demands across Reels and WhatsApp, while disconnected systems result in inconsistent pricing, inventory, and promotions, the report said.

A shortage of digital talent, evolving data privacy regulations, and onboarding barriers for small sellers further complicate the landscape.

Despite this, Omnichannel 2.0, as a growth catalyst, blends speed, personalisation, and convenience into a seamless experience, the 1Lattice report highlighted.

Formats like video shopping, live commerce, and WhatsApp checkout are no longer experiments—they’re becoming expectations.

As India’s retail ecosystem evolves, brands must shift from multichannel presence to intelligent, real-time engagement, according to the report.

1Lattice is a market intelligence firm that provides services to businesses through data-driven insights and in-depth research. It deals in research, consulting, and advisory services across key sectors including consumer and retail, healthcare, industrial and manufacturing, financial services, technology, and logistics.

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