Something is missing from the online buying experience. Here's what brick-and-mortar stores can learn from unhappy shoppers.

Online retail sales skyrocketed this past holiday season as many Americans stayed home, avoiding crowded or closed shopping centers and clicking away on Amazon for holiday presents. To some retail analysts, these huge sales numbers might imply that a new world order has been established, and we'd better get used to it. Online shopping is the wave of the future.

Not so fast.

Signals are coming in that many shoppers are unhappy with how this past holiday season unfolded. The Federal Trade Commission reported that online shopping topped the national list of COVID-19 related consumer complaints, even adjusted for the increase in online shopping year over year. Begrudged online shoppers also take to social media with their complaints which can have a snowball effect on a brand.

While an omnichannel strategy is often needed, not every channel will perform equally for all products. Here's how marketing managers can guide their consumers about where to go for what.