Avid online shoppers have raised the bar on what it takes for a retailer to stay competitive. Consumers want advanced mobile features, flexible shipping options and hassle-free returns, according to the fourth annual UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study.

What role will physical stores play in the future of retail? That's perhaps the biggest question plaguing brick-and-mortar retailers today.

Analyst Insight: Consumer products companies are making far greater use of alternative sales channels than ever before. They are proactively reaching out to customers, whether in B2B or B2C environments, to gain share of mind and increase sales. Consumer products companies have also become much more active using their own websites and utilizing marketplaces as a means to increase their product's visibility and availability to potential customers. – Bruce Tompkins, Executive Director, Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium

By 2019, retail sales from all channels are expected to hit $19.6tr, according to market research company Euromonitor International, and beginning five years from now as much as a third of new retail sales will come from China.

The customer expects shoe retailer DSW to be able to gather the shoes she wants, regardless of how she's shopping and regardless of where the shoe is located in the retailer's system. So it's good news that DSW reports it has made significant progress on its omnichannel initiative.