How Macy's, Lowe's and The Limited Are Tackling Omnichannel

For The Limited, a key to adopting omnichannel was finding/creating the right team, Ellis said. The makeup of your team is very important, she added, telling the audience to look for people with an affinity for the client as well as the ability to accept and push for change.

Harrison noted that Macy's is currently undergoing an evolution from a siloed organization into an omnichannel brand. The once disparate .com and brick-and-mortar businesses are now operating as a hybrid team. For example, inventory buying and planning are now together under one roof, whereas they were previously separate.

"To create a seamless experience for the customer, we needed to break down some barriers," said Harrison.

Echoing the thoughts of Ellis and what she's looking for at The Limited, Macy's is seeking employees who are open to change. "You can't stay still in today's [retail] environment," Harrison said, "otherwise you'll be passed by the Amazon's of the world."

Mobile is a Game Changer
All of the panelists agreed that the impetus for retail brands to become omnichannel is the growth of mobile. Lowe's customers are using their mobile devices to obtain product and project knowledge through content such as how-to videos and customer reviews. As a result, Lowe's has equipped its store associates with mobile technology, including creating a mobile app for its employees. Our associates are really no different than the customers in the aisle when it comes to technology, Kirby said.

Within the last two years, Macy's has made mobile the priority for its development efforts. What was once designed for desktop and then shrunk to fit the smaller screens of smartphones is now designed for mobile first (both phone and tablet) and then adjusted accordingly. In addition to its development efforts, Macy's has invested in RFID, visual recognition technology and a partnership with Apple Pay to accept the mobile wallet solution in its stores.