While millenials show an equal preference between purchasing online and in store, Gen Zs and Gen Xs still cite stores as their preferred shopping method. For most customer cohorts, stores and online both play an important role in purchasing, and brands must create a cohesive experience that optimizes to the strengths of each format, enabling customers to seamlessly move between. The specific role that stores and brands sites play in the consumer journey, however, can vary widely depending on scale.