What is Unified Commerce?
What is Unified Commerce?
Unified Commerce is an approach to retail and eCommerce where all sales channels, customer interactions, and backend systems are connected in a single, centralized platform. This ensures seamless, real-time data synchronization across online stores, physical stores, mobile apps, marketplaces, and customer service interactions.
Unlike omnichannel commerce, which focuses on offering multiple sales channels, unified commerce integrates these channels into a single, cohesive ecosystem—giving customers a truly seamless experience across touchpoints.
When should a business consider adopting a unified commerce approach?
A business should adopt unified commerce when it needs seamless omnichannel experiences, real-time inventory sync, centralized data, and improved customer engagement across multiple sales channels. More specifically, transitioning into a unified approach would be highly beneficial for a retailer when they’re looking for:
- Single Source of Truth (SSOT): One unified system manages all product, inventory, customer, and order data.
- Real-time Data Synchronization: Inventory, pricing, and customer information are updated instantly across all channels.
- Integrated Sales Channels: Website, mobile apps, POS (point-of-sale), social commerce, and marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, etc.) work together as one system.
- Consistent Customer Experience: Customers can start a transaction on one channel and complete it on another without friction.
- AI & Analytics: Data-driven insights help businesses personalize experiences, optimize inventory, and improve sales performance.
Why are businesses moving from omnichannel to unified commerce solutions?
Businesses are shifting to unified commerce for real-time data synchronization, seamless cross-channel experiences, improved efficiency, and better decision-making compared to fragmented omnichannel systems. For example:
With omnichannel, a customer can check product availability on the website and pick it up in-store, but inventory updates might have delays.
With unified commerce, a customer adds an item to their cart on a mobile app, modifies the order on the website, and completes the purchase in-store with all data updated in real-time.
How can unified commerce help streamline operations and reduce costs?
Unified commerce centralizes data, automates processes, and eliminates system silos, reducing inefficiencies, manual work, and operational costs while improving inventory management and customer experience. Specific benefits include:
- Seamless Customer Journey: Enables smooth transitions between online and offline shopping.
- Better Inventory Management: Reduces stockouts and overstocking with real-time tracking.
- Improved Personalization: Leverages centralized data to deliver tailored recommendations and offers.
- Operational Efficiency: Eliminates duplicate efforts, streamlines logistics, and reduces IT complexity.
- Faster Order Fulfillment: Ensures accurate order processing with real-time visibility across warehouses and stores.
- Stronger Data Insights: Combines all customer and sales data into one system for better decision-making.