78% of Retailers Plan to Implement a Unified Commerce Platform within 5 Years, According to Boston Retail Partners’ Survey

Customers expect a personalized, seamless brand experience across digital and physical commerce touch points and unified commerce is key to delivering this experience. This is the new mantra in retail, according to the 2015 E-Commerce Survey, 43% of the respondents indicated that a consistent brand experience across channels is one of their top commerce priorities. A customer’s journey is no longer a linear path to purchase it’s now an exercise in connect-the-dots for retailers as they try to piece together customer information, browsing history, inventory visibility and much more to enhance the customer experience.

“Retailers realize that that they can no longer operate from within silos, and the convergence of digital and physical commerce is now a retail imperative,” said Brian Brunk, principal, Boston Retail Partners. “Unified commerce transcends channels and enables store associates to personalize the experience to a customer based on her digital footprint. It is encouraging to see that so many retailers have implemented or will implement a unified commerce platform within the next five years.”

Boston Retail Partners’ 2015 E-Commerce Survey of top North American retailers offers insights into retailers’ current e-commerce initiatives, priorities, and future trends as the retail industry continues its transformation into the digital world.

Key findings in the 2015 E-Commerce Benchmark Survey include:

• Improving the customer experience is the top priority – 43% of retailers indicating that a consistent brand experience across channels is essential

• A unified commerce platform is critical – 78% of retailers will have a unified commerce platform implemented within 5 years

• Mobilizing commerce remains a high priority – 45% of retailers indicated that mobile websites are their most important e-commerce capability

• Payment options and security are essential – 63% of retailers plan to accept Apple Pay within 2 years

• E-commerce continues to expand – 85% of retailers expect an increase in 2016 e-commerce website revenue

To download the complete 2015 E-Commerce Benchmark Survey, visit: https://bostonretailpartners.com/2015-e-commerce-survey
Boston Retail Partners (BRP) is an independent retail management consulting firm dedicated to providing superior service and enduring value to our clients.