Very few companies - a mere five percent - believe they are "advanced" when it comes to omnichannel capabilities, and between 35 percent and 40 percent believe they're lagging, according to the third annual Retail Insight report from SPS Commerce.

Amazon reportedly will open a brick-and-mortar shop in Midtown Manhattan in time for the holiday shopping season and that it will be a place for customers to return products, make exchanges or pick up their online orders.

European retailers are increasingly adopting multi-carrier delivery strategies in response to the growing importance of delivery as the final and most critical mile in the consumer journey, according to a Forrester Research survey conducted for MetaPack Group, which provides ecommerce and multichannel delivery technology to retailers.

Through its partnership with eBay Enterprise, Ace Hardware's omnichannel initiative now offers in-store pickup in many of its locations, and is moving toward making the service available in at least 1000 stores.

Staples says it is enhancing its omnichannel experience, including the ability to buy products online and pick them up in-store within hours, an easier way to pay online called Visa Checkout, new in-store kiosks and, for the first-time ever, an iPad app.

Ken Hicks, Foot Locker chairman and CEO, took the reins of the retailer in 2007 as the United States was facing down its worst recession in decades. Under his leadership, the footwear and sports apparel company has managed to deliver 17 consecutive quarters of comparable store sales growth and its best-ever financial results for the 2013 fiscal year. Here, he speaks about the meaning of omnichannel.