The 7 Secrets of an Omnichannel Strategy Driving Franchise Success in 2025
By Charlotte Journo-Baur, founder of WISHIBAM and retail expert
The retail world is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. I've witnessed historic franchises collapse while more agile ones exceed their targets. The difference? An omnichannel franchise solution adapted to current challenges.
After guiding over 200 networks through their transformation, I can assure you: omnichannel is no longer optional—it's a survival requirement. In this article, I'll share strategies that truly work in the field, far from empty marketing promises. You'll discover how top-performing franchises orchestrate their physical and digital presence to create a coherent, personalized, and profitable customer experience.
Why Omnichannel Has Become Vital for Franchises in 2025
The New Consumer Behavior: Blending Physical, Digital, and Immediacy
The numbers are undeniable: 73% of customers now expect a seamless experience across different channels (Salesforce 2024). This represents a radical shift from the era of linear, predictable purchasing journeys. Today, a customer might spot a product on Instagram at 11 PM, check reviews on their smartphone the next morning, visit a store to try it during lunch break, then complete the purchase online from their couch that evening.
"Our salespeople now face ultra-informed customers who have already browsed our online catalog. They come to the store to touch and try products, then immediately compare prices on their phones. If we're not consistent across channels, we lose the sale."
This reality exists across all sectors. The boundaries between physical and digital commerce are fading, creating a "unified commerce" where consumers expect perfect continuity. A McKinsey study reveals that omnichannel customers spend on average 15-30% more than single-channel customers. Ignoring this trend means forfeiting a significant portion of revenue.
The Specific Challenges for Franchises: Brand Consistency, Inventory Management, Customer Relationships
The franchise model adds an extra layer of complexity to the omnichannel equation. How do you maintain a consistent brand image when each franchisee manages their point of sale with relative autonomy? How do you prevent one franchisee's commercial actions from cannibalizing another's?
I've seen networks where each franchisee created their own Facebook page and website, with different promotions and contradictory marketing messages. The result: total cacophony that disorients customers and dilutes brand strength.
Inventory management represents another major challenge. A customer who reserves a product online for in-store pickup will be deeply disappointed if they make the trip for nothing because the stock information wasn't reliable. This disappointment quickly transforms into negative reviews that impact the entire network.
That's why a unified platform becomes essential. It centralizes product information, harmonizes the customer experience, and creates synergies between physical stores and digital channels. Successful franchises in 2025 understand that an effective omnichannel strategy rests on three pillars:
- Adapted technology
- Clear processes
- Trained teams
What a True Omnichannel Solution Should Offer Franchise Networks
Sovereign, Agile, and Interconnected Technology
In 2025, certain services are no longer "extras" but standards expected by consumers. Click & collect, e-reservation, and ship-from-store have become as basic as having a payment terminal in-store. Yet many franchises still struggle to implement them effectively.
The difficulty often lies in system interconnection. A typical franchise network uses an average of 5-7 different tools: point-of-sale system, CRM, ERP, e-commerce site, mobile app… This fragmentation creates information silos that make a unified view of customers and inventory impossible.
I worked with a 40-store franchise that was literally losing millions of euros annually due to this desynchronization. Products shown as available online but unfindable in-store, inconsistent promotions across channels, customers receiving contradictory communications… An operational nightmare that translated into a deplorable customer experience.
Technological sovereignty has emerged as a major strategic issue. Complete dependence on American solutions exposes franchises to significant risks: sudden price increases, unilateral modifications to terms of use, and most importantly, loss of control over customer data—retail's new gold.
High-performing franchises now prioritize technological solutions that offer:
- Real-time unified inventory visibility
- Centralized product information management
- Unique customer identification across all channels
- Flexibility to adapt the experience to local specifics
- Data protection compliant with European regulations
Centralized Management with Local Autonomy
The balance between global coherence and local adaptation is probably the most subtle challenge of omnichannel franchising. Too much centralization stifles franchisee initiative and ignores ground realities. Too much autonomy dilutes brand identity and creates harmful inconsistencies.
The solution lies in a hybrid approach I call "strategic centralization, tactical autonomy". The franchisor defines the global framework—visual identity, product catalog, pricing policy, service standards—while the franchisee retains flexibility to adapt the offer to local specifics.
Take the example of a home decor franchise we support at Wishibam. Each store has a mini-site connected to the central platform. Franchisees can highlight certain products based on local preferences, organize events specific to their catchment area, and even personalize certain communications. But all this happens within a defined framework that guarantees consistency in the customer experience.
This approach allows each store to perform online without cannibalizing the network. Sales made via digital are attributed to the store closest to the customer, creating a virtuous dynamic where digital becomes an ally rather than a competitor to physical retail.
Franchisees who initially resisted digital have become its most fervent advocates after seeing the impact on their revenue. One recently told me:
"I realized that every customer who consults our catalog online is an opportunity, not a threat. Now my salespeople are delighted when a customer arrives saying they saw a product on our website."
Wishibam: The Omnichannel Solution Designed for Ambitious Franchises
A French, Sovereign Platform, Designed for Retail First
When we created Wishibam, we started from a simple observation: existing solutions were either adaptations of classic e-commerce platforms that ignored physical retail's specificities, or overly complex systems impossible to deploy quickly and evolve.
Our fundamental difference? We're retailers before being technologists. Every feature of our platform addresses a concrete need observed in the field, not an engineer's whim disconnected from commercial realities.
This pragmatic approach translates into a 100% French solution, hosted in France, compliant with GDPR requirements, and interoperable with most market ERPs. We chose digital sovereignty not out of chauvinism, but because it's the only way to guarantee our clients total control of their digital strategy and data.
- A premium fashion franchise saw its omnichannel revenue increase by 37% in just 10 months after implementing Wishibam.
- Another, in the home equipment sector, reduced its logistics costs by 22% thanks to flow optimization enabled by our solution.
A franchisee from a cosmetics brand testifies:
"Before Wishibam, we systematically lost sales when a product wasn't available in-store. Today, our salespeople can instantly check its availability in other stores or order it online for the customer. Our conversion rate has increased by 15%."
These successes are explained by our ability to create bridges between physical and digital, transforming each store into an omnichannel hub capable of serving customers wherever they are in their purchasing journey.
Human Support, Measurable Results
Technology alone isn't enough. The failure of many digital transformation projects relates less to tool quality than to how they're deployed and adopted by teams.
That's why we've developed a support methodology specific to franchise networks. Each deployment begins with a thorough diagnosis identifying strengths and areas for improvement. We then define clear, measurable objectives with KPIs adapted to each network level.
Team training constitutes an essential pillar of our approach. We organize dedicated sessions for franchisees, store managers, and salespeople, with content adapted to each profile. The goal isn't just to master the tool, but to understand how it integrates into a global omnichannel strategy.
Dedicated support then accompanies the network daily, with representatives who know each franchise's specifics. We don't simply sell a tool, but a partnership oriented toward success.
Franchises thriving in 2025 understand that omnichannel isn't a technological question but a profound transformation of their business model. They bet on a balanced approach combining the best of digital—personalization, data, automation—with physical retail's irreplaceable assets—sensory experience, human advice, immediacy.
"Omnichannel has allowed us to rediscover why our customers love us. It's not despite technology, but thanks to it that we can now focus on the essential: human relationships."
The Future of Retail Franchising is Omnichannel, Sovereign, and Human
The future belongs to franchises that can harmoniously orchestrate their physical and digital channels to offer a seamless customer experience. Those who persist in opposing them or managing them in silos condemn themselves to a slow erosion of their relevance.
At Wishibam, we're convinced this transformation must rely on three fundamental pillars:
- Omnichannel as a global philosophy, not just a juxtaposition of channels
- Technological sovereignty as a guarantee of strategic independence
- Human connection as a central and differentiating value
Franchises embracing this vision don't just survive in a fierce competitive environment—they thrive and reinvent the retail experience for years to come.
As I like to tell the franchisors I work with: retail's future is neither 100% physical nor 100% digital. It's 100% customer-focused. And that's precisely what a well-designed omnichannel solution allows: putting the customer at the center of all decisions, all processes, all interactions.
With Wishibam, this future is already here. It's up to you to seize it.
FAQ: Omnichannel Franchise Solution
What exactly is an omnichannel solution for franchises?
An omnichannel solution for franchises is an integrated system that unifies all sales channels (physical stores, e-commerce, social networks, marketplaces) by offering a consistent customer experience. It synchronizes inventory, prices, and customer data while respecting the balance between brand centralization and franchisee autonomy.
How long does it take to deploy an omnichannel solution in a franchise network?
Deploying a solution like Wishibam typically takes between 3 and 6 months for a medium-sized network. This timeframe includes technical integration, team training, and operational ramp-up. Contrary to common belief, technology represents only 30% of deployment time, with change management constituting the essential part of the process.
How do you measure the ROI of an omnichannel solution for franchises?
ROI is measured through several complementary indicators: increase in overall revenue, higher average basket, reduction in logistics costs, improved conversion rate, and decrease in dormant inventory. Our clients typically see a return on investment in 8 to 12 months, with an average revenue increase of 20-30% in the first year.
Can small franchises also benefit from an omnichannel solution?
Absolutely. Wishibam offers packages adapted to networks of all sizes, including those with fewer than 10 stores. Omnichannel isn't a question of size but strategy. Small networks often benefit from agility that facilitates digital transformation, allowing them to compete with larger players.
How does an omnichannel solution preserve franchisee autonomy?
A good omnichannel solution like Wishibam operates on the principle of "strategic centralization, tactical autonomy." The franchisor defines the global framework while each franchisee maintains local action levers: highlighting specific products, organizing events, personalizing communications in their catchment area. The system of attributing online sales to the nearest store also ensures that digital strengthens physical rather than cannibalizing it.
What are the most frequent errors in implementing an omnichannel strategy in franchising?
The three most common errors are: underestimating the importance of in-store team training, neglecting integration with existing systems (ERP, POS, CRM), and deploying the solution uniformly without considering local specifics. At Wishibam, we've developed a methodology that anticipates these pitfalls to ensure successful adoption at all network levels.