There’s a commerce revolution happening and retailers must take advantage of the new solutions that can help them leverage their existing investments. But trying to stretch their existing e-commerce platforms to deliver complex multi-brand/multi-market product offerings and new omni-channel experiences is proving very challenging. Often leading to disjointed architectures that are hard to manage and enhance over time, making it almost impossible for retailers to catch up – and keep up – with increasing consumer demands.
Successful retail brands will be the ones who achieve retail convergence. But retailers take note - this vision of unifying online and in-store shopping and operations does not mean you need another e-commerce platform or POS. Download a copy of the Boston Retail Partners' Digital Commerce Survey 2016 to see the top priorities of winning retailers in North America.
Digital transformation can come from the heart of your existing business and be built outwards. This is the new DNA... solutions built on a unifying commerce layer at the core of your business that can connect existing systems, data and business logic, and enable you to build out with new, differentiating omni-channel commerce experiences and applications at scale.
In an effort to dominate this retail convergence, the priority should be on helping retailers bring digital experiences into their stores. Not with siloed applications, but with solutions built on a unifying commerce layer, so they can meet more immediate demands rapidly with the ability to continuously innovate to keep up with evolving consumer behavior. This is the present, and future, of modern retail success in a world where channels no longer matter and the measure of success will be the ability to deliver "commerce anywhere".
The benefits of this approach define the differentiating elements of modern retail:
- Speed: Enable new digital experiences at the speed of consumers
- Convenience: Modernize the store with digital solutions
- Choice: Empower employees with instant access to information
This channel-agnostic approach not only connects all experiences with the backend systems that enable them, it drives boundless potential to connect with customers everywhere, anytime. With all relevant data aggregated into a single location, the ability to deliver a real-time commerce experience becomes reality.
The objective is simple. In order to be highly competitive, retailers need to be innovative and agile with new digital shopping experiences. The solution is obvious. A unifying commerce layer that eliminates the need to replatform. The logical place to start is by digitizing the store, leveraging traditional brick and mortar locations as experience and fulfillment centers of excellence. (Discover solutions that push the physical limits of retail in this free downloadable guide).
