5 Brands With the Best Digital Experiences

The idea that physical retail shopping could be fueled by digital tech used to be a myth. Now, it’s a reality.

In fact, it’s the basis of omnichannel marketing, which calls for excellent in-store digital experiences that blend seamlessly with those online. And in today’s ecommerce landscape, it serves as the foundation for agentic shopping powered by autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that find and buy products for consumers.

The brands that really get it have made it their business for years now, while those who haven’t risk losing the 67% of shoppers who research a product online before making the in-store purchase, according to Salsify’s “2026 Consumer Research” report.

As it turns out, customers clearly enjoy — and expect — digital access whenever they engage with your brand, no matter where they are in the buying journey.

Consumers want to see and understand products before they buy them. But they also want the convenience and engagement that digital experiences offer. Brands and retailers that can deliver both are poised to win their business.

Is In-Store Shopping Still Worth It?

Salsify’s “2026 Consumer Research,” a survey of more than 2,700 U.S., U.K., and Canadian respondents across generation groups, found that 65% of consumers head online for better prices and 64% shop digitally for convenience.

If nearly two-thirds of consumers prefer browsing online, why bother refining the in-store shopping experience at all? Because 69% of 2026 shoppers still go to physical retail stores to buy products — up 11% since 2025, according to the report. More than half (53%) showroom, or check out a product in-store before buying it online.

In-store shopping is still alive and kicking, so it shouldn't be ignored, but it’s steadily taking on a new shape as consumers increasingly demand more interactive, convenient, and personalized experiences.

What Is a Digital Experience?

A digital experience is a way a brand engages, interacts, or presents itself through technology as a means of connecting with current or potential customers.

Creating a strong digital experience for shoppers can mean enabling seamless online checkouts, mobile shopping capabilities, or interactive in-store tools that help consumers visualize products in their own spaces.

In an omnichannel environment, shoppers can engage with all of these digital solutions — and more — as they move from one shopping channel to the next.

Ever seen a product that sparked joy as you scrolled on social media, for example? If the brand is doing omnichannel well, they likely followed up with an email promoting the product based on your engagement with the post.

Then, maybe you headed to the store to check out the product for yourself, only to use a virtual reality tool to envision the product in your personal space. Maybe you even used a quick tap-to-pay checkout to select a buy now, pay later option easily.

That’s a truly omnichannel experience — a seamless blend of in-person and digital interactions that delivers convenience and engagement to lead a shopper to purchase.

What Technology Is Used in Retail?

Beyond interactive screens in posh retailers, other technology fueling digital experiences includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and even facial recognition.

Many retailers also offer apps that help consumers make lists, enjoy discounts, check inventory, locate products in-store, and inspect enhanced content and reviews in real time.

AI has quickly become an integral part of the shopping experience, with 22% of consumers turning to tools like ChatGPT to shop directly, according to Salsify consumer research. However, consumers are still hesitant to fully trust AI-driven or agentic shopping solutions: Only 14% trust them implicitly, while another 27% verify results manually.


In an AI-powered world, winning shoppers’ trust and engaging them via their preferred AI agents is critical. The most trusted elements of AI shopping, according to Salsify’s research? Detailed product descriptions, brand recognition, and personalization. As it turns out, the same high-quality shopping experiences win on the physical, digital, and AI-driven shelves.

5 Best-in-Class Digital Experiences

An online retail experience is a way of engaging and informing customers with the use of technology through personalization and interactivity — all the while meeting their shopping needs.

Here are five companies offering top in-store and online digital experiences.

1. Sephora Virtual Artist Gives You a Makeover

The Sephora Virtual Artist is an excellent example of a digital experience that truly sets the bar.

Shoppers can download the Sephora mobile app to gain access to an instant virtual makeover. Sephora’s makeup app utilizes facial recognition technology to provide personalized recommendations. 

With the Sephora Virtual Artist, shoppers can:

• Try on products from their favorite brands
• Compare products
• Watch tutorials
• Color match makeup

Image Source: Sephora

2. Walmart’s Sparky Works for You

Walmart’s AI shopping assistant, Sparky, is leading the charge for agentic, personalized retail experiences. Shoppers can access Sparky online or in their Walmart mobile app — even while shopping in-store — to read product reviews, get personalized recommendations, and compare products in real time.

Use voice or text to access contextualized answers to questions like, “What are the best gifts for a five-year-old’s birthday party?” or, “What should I get my parents for their anniversary?” Sparky not only provides detailed answers, but points shoppers in the right direction to buy in-store or online.

Image Source: Walmart

3. Virtual Reality and AI at Lowe's

Lowe's Innovation Labs is all about using the latest technology to enhance shopping options. The home improvement brand has turned its past foray into virtual reality-enhanced shopping into a full-scale digital experience.

Take Lowe’s Style Studio, as an example. With Style Studio, shoppers can use Apple’s Vision Pro to blend products into their actual physical spaces to envision how they’ll look and feel. Meanwhile, the Lowe’s Product Expert offers AI-driven product recommendations that consumers can access online, in-store, or on their mobile app.

Image Source: Lowe’s

When it’s time to make a purchase, customers can head into stores with the Lowe’s app to identify where products are physically located and inspect customer reviews for those items.

4. Nike Kicks It in Gear

Nike has embraced digital commerce for years with top-rated apps and tech-driven experiences. These digital-based experiences have even complemented and replaced those that happen in-store, which were a huge part of Nike's brand evolution before the pandemic.

The Nike app provides a mix of content and personalized commerce that rivals service found in-store. Users can gain early access to product drops and chat with Nike specialists for style advice.

When it comes to putting this selected gear to the test, Nike offers a Nike Training Club app for home workouts instead of in-store training sessions. And runners can download the Nike Run Club App to join a community of athletes with training tips and support.

Image Source: Nike

5. Hyper-Personalization at L’Oreal Paris

L’Oreal Paris’ Skin Genius takes personalized recommendations to new depths, using AI technology to analyze shoppers’ skin. Consumers simply scan their face using their mobile app to receive a custom analysis of their skin’s tone, wrinkles, pigmentation, and more.

Skin Genius then provides a personalized suite of recommended products tailored to the shopper’s skin needs, along with a discount to incentivize the purchase.


Image Source: L’Oreal Paris

Skin Genius is just the latest of the beauty brand’s digital technologies, which also include virtual try-on tools, online product quizzes, and Beauty Genius, the AI beauty assistant.

Ready for an Experience?

It's time to capitalize on shoppers' demands for tech-driven commerce, and that means seamlessly connecting online shopping with in-store digital experiences and AI-powered personalization engines to allow customers to buy how they want when they want.