They compare two models, check the screens, ask questions, and leave without buying anything.
A few hours later, the same customer opens Croma's website.
The laptops they were considering are still there. Prices, specifications, availability, reviews, and related products are now only a few clicks away.
For the customer, this feels like one continuous shopping journey.
For the retailer, making that journey seamless requires something far more complicated: technology connecting digital behavior with physical retail.
This is where Croma's omnichannel strategy becomes interesting.
The Tata Group-backed electronics retailer has spent years building a model in which stores and digital channels are not treated as separate businesses. Instead, they work together.
And as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly important in retail, the next stage of that strategy is becoming even more powerful.
The goal isn't simply to sell electronics online or inside stores.
It is to understand the customer journey across both worlds—and use technology to make the experience feel like one connected marketplace.
Traditional retailers often operated with a clear division.
The physical store had its customers.
The website had its customers.
Inventory might be managed separately.
Promotions could differ.
Customer information could be fragmented.
A shopper might research a product online but have no easy way to know whether the nearest store had it in stock.
Alternatively, someone could visit a store, see a product, and later struggle to continue that purchase journey online.
For consumers, the separation was frustrating.
But smartphones changed the rules.
Customers began researching products while standing inside stores.
They compared prices.
They read reviews.
They watched YouTube videos.
They checked specifications.
They searched for alternatives.
The customer journey stopped being linear.
It became omnichannel.
For an electronics retailer, physical stores still have something websites cannot completely reproduce.
Touch.
Demonstration.
Human assistance.
Customers can compare television screens side by side.
They can hold smartphones.
They can test headphones.
They can examine laptop keyboards.
They can ask questions.
For expensive products, this experience can matter enormously.
Croma therefore doesn't have to treat its stores as outdated assets competing against e-commerce.
Instead, the stores can become part of the digital customer journey.
A customer may discover a product online, visit a store to experience it, and eventually purchase through either channel.
That flexibility is at the heart of omnichannel retail.
The traditional retail funnel looked something like this:
Advertisement → Store visit → Purchase
Modern retail is much more complicated.
A customer might:
See an Instagram post → Search Google → Visit Croma's website → Read reviews → Check store availability → Visit a store → Compare products → Leave → Return to the website → Purchase.
The customer doesn't think of these as separate interactions.
They simply think:
“I'm shopping for a laptop.”
The retailer therefore has to connect the interactions.
That is the real purpose of omnichannel marketing.
Omnichannel systems tell a retailer what is happening across channels.
AI can potentially help the retailer understand what those signals mean and what action might be useful next.
For example, customer behavior can provide clues about preferences.
Someone repeatedly researching premium televisions may respond differently to an entry-level promotional message.
A customer searching for gaming laptops may be more interested in graphics performance, cooling systems, and accessories than someone purchasing a laptop for office work.
The opportunity is to move from:
“Here are our products.”
to:
“Here are the products most relevant to you.”
That is where AI-powered personalization becomes powerful.
E-commerce companies have trained consumers to expect recommendations.
“Customers also bought…”
“You may also like…”
“Recommended for you…”
These features have become normal online.
Physical stores, however, historically couldn't personalize the shopping experience at the same scale.
AI and connected customer data could change that.
Imagine walking into a large electronics store and receiving a personalized product shortlist based on products you previously researched.
Or receiving a notification about a product that is now available at your preferred store.
Or getting recommendations for accessories that genuinely match the device you're considering.
The distinction between digital personalization and physical retail begins to disappear.
One of the less glamorous but most important parts of omnichannel commerce is inventory.
Customers don't want to know whether a product exists somewhere in a retailer's supply chain.
They want to know:
“Can I get it?”
If a website can show whether a product is available at a nearby store, inventory becomes part of the customer experience.
That can influence purchasing decisions.
A customer who sees that a television is available nearby may decide to visit the store.
Another customer may prefer home delivery.
The retailer can support both.
This is a major advantage of an integrated model.
Inventory isn't just an operational issue anymore. It becomes a marketing asset.
There is another important reversal.
It is easy to assume that online shopping is taking customers away from stores.
But omnichannel retail can work in both directions.
A customer might visit a Croma store, speak with an employee, understand the product, and then later complete the purchase online.
The store helped generate the sale even if the final transaction happened digitally.
Likewise, a digital campaign can drive a customer into a physical store.
This makes it increasingly difficult to assign revenue to a single channel.
The real asset is the entire customer journey.
Electronics are particularly well suited to this model because the purchase journey often involves research.
A consumer buying a ₹1,000 accessory may make an instant decision.
A consumer buying a television, refrigerator, laptop, smartphone, or home appliance may spend days comparing options.
They may want expert advice.
They may want to see the product.
They may want to compare specifications.
They may also want the convenience of ordering online.
That makes electronics retail a natural environment for combining physical experience with digital convenience.
Modern electronics shoppers face another problem:
There are too many specifications.
Refresh rates.
Processor generations.
RAM.
Storage.
Panel technology.
Energy ratings.
Camera specifications.
Connectivity standards.
Smart features.
For many customers, product comparison can become overwhelming.
AI-powered shopping assistants and recommendation systems can potentially simplify this process.
Instead of forcing customers to understand every technical specification, technology can translate requirements into recommendations.
A customer might say:
“I want a laptop for office work, video calls, and occasional gaming.”
The system can narrow the options.
The same principle applies inside stores.
Technology can help employees access product information faster and provide more relevant recommendations.
AI does not automatically make physical retail irrelevant.
In fact, it may make store employees more valuable.
The best combination may be:
AI for information + humans for judgment.
An AI system can quickly compare specifications.
A salesperson can understand the customer's hesitation.
AI can suggest three suitable products.
A human can explain why one might be better for that customer's particular situation.
This combination could create a stronger shopping experience than either technology or humans working alone.
The biggest mistake companies can make is thinking omnichannel simply means being present everywhere.
Having a website, app, stores, social media accounts, and marketplaces doesn't automatically create an omnichannel business.
The channels have to work together.
The customer should be able to move between them without feeling like they are starting over.
That means connecting:
Customer data → Product information → Inventory → Marketing → Stores → Website → Purchase → After-sales service.
The more seamlessly those systems communicate, the more natural the experience becomes.
Croma's strategy reflects a broader transformation happening across retail.
The question is no longer:
“Should customers shop online or offline?”
The better question is:
“How can we make online and offline work together?”
AI strengthens that possibility.
It can help analyze customer behavior, personalize recommendations, optimize communication, support employees, and improve decision-making.
Omnichannel infrastructure connects those capabilities to the physical store.
Together, they can turn a retailer from a collection of sales channels into a single connected customer experience.
The most interesting future is one where consumers stop thinking about channels altogether.
They don't think:
“I am now shopping online.”
Or:
“I am now shopping offline.”
They simply shop.
They research on their phone.
They visit a store.
They speak to an employee.
They compare prices.
They return home.
They purchase online.
Then they return to the store for installation or support.
From the customer's perspective, it is one journey.
The technology behind it may be incredibly complicated.
But the experience should feel simple.
That is ultimately the promise of Croma's omnichannel strategy.
The future of retail isn't online versus offline.
It is the disappearance of the line between them.
And as AI becomes more capable of understanding what customers need, retailers that successfully connect their digital intelligence with their physical presence could gain a powerful advantage.
The store won't disappear.
The website won't disappear.
Instead, they will increasingly become two sides of the same retail experience.