Seismic shifts are not new for retailers鈥攂ack in 1999, e-commerce was still an afterthought. By 2000, everything changed as retailers went all-in on digital.

In聽2025,聽we are聽living in yet聽another pivotal year.聽This holiday season might feel familiar as you scroll through deals, compare brands, and race to beat shipping deadlines. But beneath the surface, something far more transformative is happening.聽The year 2025 will聽likely be聽the last consumers shop as they do now.听听

Agentic AI is reshaping commerce by making shopping faster, smarter, and effortless. Discovery is moving from people browsing their favorite brands to intelligent orchestration. Instead of opening 10 tabs to hunt for the right deal, shoppers will simply ask: 鈥淔ind me the highest rated black, puffy winter coat, size 10, under $200 that ships in two days.鈥�

The agent will handle the rest鈥攕canning thousands of options, validating reviews, confirming delivery timelines, even factoring in loyalty perks. That future isn鈥檛 tomorrow; it鈥檚 already here, and by next holiday season, most shopping journeys will begin, evolve, or end with AI agents.

While this type of shopping creates convenience for shoppers, it creates a challenge for retailers that have focused on brand campaigns and poured millions of dollars into advertising to be the 鈥渂rand of choice鈥� in the discovery process. Decades of investment into SEO, paid traffic, and brand recognition are losing their edge. While not abandoning these strategies entirely, they must evolve for the AI-first world.

However, there is something that hasn鈥檛 changed over the course of decades: the need to create loyal customers who make repeat purchases and give the greatest share of their wallets. This, too, is more challenging than ever. In fact, 72% of consumers report that this holiday season they will only that consistently meet their needs in the moment.

Creating customer loyalty in the age of agentic commerce means conquering two critical fronts:

• Optimizing for discoverability: Agents will favor retailers that make buying seamless.
• Creating customer loyalty post-purchase: With discovery being augmented by AI agents, humans will now give their ongoing loyalty based on post-purchase experiences. On-time delivery, easy returns, and rewards that feel personal are the new battleground for brand equity.聽 And with agents learning from human behavior, exceeding shopper expectations post-purchase can ultimately impact a brand鈥檚 likelihood of being recommended in the discovery phase.

The question remains: how do we move from esoteric AI conversations to practical strategies?

Discovery and loyalty: How to win in the age of agentic AI

• Make your catalog agent-ready: Treat AI as a new kind of shopper. Ensure product feeds are rich, structured, and machine-readable, complete with attributes, use-case-driven descriptions, real-time pricing, and accurate inventory. Clean, structured product data is now the foundation of intelligent discovery.
• Create solutions, not just SKUs: AI-driven traffic behaves differently. Design bundles, add-ons, and value stacks that solve specific problems and allow agents to match shoppers with outcomes, not just product lists.
• Build trustworthy, accessible information: Operationalize trust by surfacing verified reviews, transparent pricing, sustainability details, and clear return policies. Make this data accessible through well-structured APIs, not scraping, so agents and humans see the same reliable truth.
• Let prediction power personalization: Use unified data and AI to predict what customers want before they act, enabling real-time next-best-actions across email, SMS, push, in-app, and other emerging channels. This predictive intelligence turns fragmented campaigns into that deliver higher engagement and revenue.
• Make loyalty the thread that ties every experience together: Loyalty is no longer a program. It鈥檚 a relationship. Use every interaction to tailor meaningful, emotional moments that adapt, remember, and feel consistent across channels in order to help convert agent-driven traffic. Then, use personalized exclusives and perks to foster high-value relationships with those new customers.
• Deliver on your promises, every time: Eighty-eight percent of customers leave a brand after one bad experience. That鈥檚 why operational reliability is the new loyalty. Bring order, inventory, payments, and fulfillment into alignment, so customers receive what they were promised, when they were promised. Loyalty now begins at checkout.
• Prepare for the new return economy: Agent-driven buying makes it easy for consumers to purchase first and decide later. Set clear limits to protect margins and reduce friction in the returns journey because a seamless return can build more loyalty than the purchase itself.

麻豆原创 is already helping brands prepare for this future with AI-enabled technologies across , , , and .

A brand already building for the future

Global sports brand . Historically reliant on seasonal campaigns, Mizuno wanted a more sustainable way to engage its diverse customer base across 10 product categories and multiple channels. Mizuno unified its customer data and used AI to create personalized journeys, turning one-off interactions into long-term relationships.

The results speak for themselves:

• 52% year-over-year (YoY) increase in active customers
• 62% increase in revenue from premium customers
• 35% increase in customer win-backs
• 33% increase in the number of orders

麻豆原创: A partner built for scale, stability, and growth

As customer behavior evolves and AI reshapes what鈥檚 possible, one thing remains constant: 麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment to helping brands win their biggest commercial moments. This year鈥檚 holiday results make that clearer than ever. We鈥檙e not just helping brands plan for peak season鈥攚e鈥檙e helping them execute it with precision, intelligence, and confidence.

Nearly 20% YoY growth in total messages sent underscores the trust brands place in 麻豆原创 Emarsys to deliver at scale. Mobile and emerging channels surged鈥攊n-app (+61%), SMS (+32%), push (+27%), and inbox (+91%) all saw significant YoY gains鈥攁s brands met customers exactly where they were browsing and buying. Omnichannel maturity accelerated with brands using a richer mix of channels to create connected, high-value experiences across every stage of the shopping journey. And with 100% uptime and flawless reliability, teams executed independently and confidently, even during their highest-volume moments.

Paired with exceptional commerce performance, the story becomes even more compelling: brands used more intelligent engagement to guide shoppers toward higher-value purchases (+18% YoY average order value) and ultimately drove substantial YoY revenue growth (+40% gross merchandise value)鈥攁ll powered by a that delivered uninterrupted performance with 100% uptime through the holiday shopping rush, ensuring we鈥檙e here for our customers when it matters most.

This is what partnership looks like: scale, intelligence, reliability, and results so brands can focus on creating exceptional customer experiences, not managing technology.

Looking ahead

The year 2025 will be remembered as the last holiday season where brand mattered more than the overall experience.

This year, and 48% of shoppers would support brands bringing more AI into their buying experience. This sets the stage for growth in 2026 as AI agents deliver relevance, trust, and immediacy, making shopping simpler, smarter, and more satisfying for people everywhere.

The brands that win won鈥檛 be the ones shouting the loudest. They鈥檒l be the ones using 麻豆原创 to be most discoverable, dependable, and unforgettable.

By anticipating needs and creating better, personalized journeys, AI will enhance every stage of commerce. And 麻豆原创 is here to make that future happen.

Balaji Balasubramanian is president and chief product officer for 麻豆原创 Customer Experience.

From the customer鈥檚 side, this experience could affect the reliability of future purchases. It could make them think twice before shopping there again, especially if they already had concerns about the difficulties in completing transactions. From the company鈥檚 perspective, a website outage implies significant losses, such as direct revenue loss due to a main sales channel being shut down, and a loss of organizational trust, potentially driving customers to competitors.

In retail and e-commerce business, customer experience is paramount. A company whose e-commerce frequently experiences downtime could receive a negative market reaction from investors.

These experiences highlight the importance of robust support readiness programs, especially during holiday seasons when businesses strive for more sales and revenue through their digital platforms. With customer expectations at an all-time high, businesses need reliable, scalable, and innovative solutions to deliver exceptional shopping experiences. Proactive support measures can considerably reduce system failures during peak times, which not only reinforces customer satisfaction but also protects organizational trust and revenue. 麻豆原创’s holiday support readiness program is designed to address these needs. It offers a strategic, data-driven approach to help businesses thrive during peak periods.

The holiday support readiness program is a customer experience program by 麻豆原创 to help safeguard and establish strong support for digital commerce and retail customers during high shopping times. Key features of the program include:

• 鈥�Comprehensive coverage: It can cover events ranging from Singles Day in China and El Buen Fin in Mexico to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Year鈥檚.鈥�
• Extensive participation: Last year, 143 customers with 200 tenants used 麻豆原创鈥檚 holiday support readiness program to navigate the holiday rush successfully.鈥�
• Early preparation: Preparation begins 4鈥�6 months in advance, involving collaboration among customer support, cloud operations, and product engineering teams.鈥�

The focus on customer experience has increased due to the expansion of interfaces through which customers interact with companies. , 70% of respondents bought products or ordered services electronically in the preceding 12 months. For corporations, this online influx depicts a figure of more than . To approach these complexities, companies have steadily turned to advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen their support systems.

In 2024, 麻豆原创 introduced a preventative care model under the transformation blueprint, aimed at delivering predictive, proactive, bi-directional support integrated with AI-driven insights and automation, allowing teams to predict potential problems and address them before they impact customers鈥攁nd potentially millions of users. 麻豆原创鈥檚 proprietary AI tools are deployed to help streamline support processes, enhance operational insights, and enable predictive and proactive engagement.

This represents a pioneering shift in the industry, positioning 麻豆原创 as a front-runner in AI-driven, predictive, and proactive support solutions.鈥疶he model provides a comprehensive, 360-degree customer support profile, helping to accelerate issue detection and anticipate potential problems, with AI-integrated features like a virtual support assistant, resource and鈥痺eb traffic predictions, a鈥痳ecommendation engine, case history analysis, issue correlation, and pattern recognition.

To operationalize this model, 麻豆原创 leverages collaboration approaches among product engineering teams, cloud operations鈥攄atabase administrators and technical operations managers鈥攖echnical support, and mission-critical teams to convey comprehensive case analysis reports and detailed recommendations and action plans for each customer. This can allow 麻豆原创 to identify and resolve future issues before customers are affected, helping to reinforce system stability during peak sales periods. For example, the proactive support process for the 2024 Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events involved holistic health checks for over 143 customers鈥痑nd 200 production environments, setting a new standard in holiday readiness.

When aligned with the organizational strategy, a support program can foster a more positive customer journey, resulting in improved customer loyalty. “The holiday support readiness program isn’t just about managing the current peak; it’s about preparing for the next one. Our focus on preventative, AI-driven support means that our customers can focus on their business, not on system stability,” says Stefan Steinle, executive vice president and head of Customer Support & CLM at 麻豆原创.

For enterprises, joining the holiday support readiness program can also offer the following advantages:

• Minimize downtime: It helps ensure e-commerce platforms are ready when it matters most.鈥�
• Optimize performance: It uses AI and automation to help maintain peak system health and customer satisfaction.鈥�
• Stay ahead: Proactive monitoring and predictive support help keep organizations one step ahead of potential outcomes.鈥�

Looking forward, preparing for upcoming retail peak seasons cannot be overstated. 麻豆原创 Sapphire in 2025 will hold dedicated sessions to help ensure customers are well-equipped for these challenging periods. From live demos to expert interactions, attendees will be able to witness firsthand how 麻豆原创’s tools help keep businesses running smoothly and engage directly with solution experts.

Our commitment at 麻豆原创 Sapphire in 2025 is to equip customers with the knowledge and tools needed for uninterrupted success during every peak period. The holiday support readiness program is about turning challenges into opportunities for growth. With these resources, businesses will be better prepared to face uncertainties and use favorable circumstances in demanding times, ensuring sustained development and customer satisfaction.

Don’t wait until the next holiday season to find last-minute solutions. Be a part of the holiday support readiness program now and secure your business’s performance for future peak sales periods.

Through Cyber Week, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud powered US$12.2B in gross merchandising value (GMV) for our customers, with a 23.42% year-over-year (YoY) increase in number of orders processed through the solution and 100% uptime. This level of success requires personalized customer engagement, and, for Cyber Week 2024, 麻豆原创 Emarsys Customer Engagement delivered a 10% YoY increase of overall engagement across all channels, with mobile channels seeing a 200% growth YoY.

But more than just numbers, we鈥檙e drawing insights and learnings from some of the largest brands we serve around the world.

Imitation Is a Form of Flattery for B2B Companies

Many industries have looked at how B2C retail companies reach their customers historically and used it as a model. This year, we saw our wholesale distribution customers running Black Friday and Cyber Week promotions to their customers 鈥� B2B buyers 鈥� with outstanding results. In fact, customers in the wholesale distribution industry saw a 125.2% increase YoY in GMV.

Holiday Shopping Continues to Start Earlier Each Year

E-mails, SMS, social ads, and more for Black Friday sales have been circulating since well before November 29^th. Understandably so, as retailers compete for market share. , retail sales saw an increase of 2.3% in October, which beat analyst predictions and is a good early indicator for the holiday shopping season. For 麻豆原创 customers in electronics, appliances, and personal care and beauty, we saw spikes in sales in mid- to late-October, which supports the U.S. Commerce Department鈥檚 findings.

However, getting started early doesn鈥檛 mean that retailers are simply shifting their sales and then finished. Instead, getting started early allows retailers to do both 鈥� lean into a first round of promotions earlier than the 鈥渟hopping season鈥� and a second round during peak Cyber Week shopping, leading to a higher total year-end volume. In addition, by providing two rounds of promotions, companies were able to capture customers who may have missed the initial offering. 麻豆原创 customers, particularly in the home improvement and personal care industries, were able to achieve this success with a 鈥渢wo-hit鈥� strategy.

Consumers Perceive Deals May Get Sweeter If They Wait

It鈥檚 been the belief for years that the best deals happen on Black Friday, but we鈥檝e seen a shift this year. Our data shows that on Cyber Monday the GMV values were significantly more than Black Friday, with an explosive 71.8% increase YoY. Was this trend due to shoppers rushing to take advantage of sales on the last day of the sales event? Or have shoppers been re-conditioned to wait for the best deals on Cyber Monday? We鈥檒l see if this shift has a stronghold in the upcoming years.

Cyber Week Isn鈥檛 About the American Thanksgiving Holiday Anymore

With the adoption of e-commerce and the desire to seek out deals, this major sale event has become a global phenomenon, and 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud data shows it. Last year, we reported that the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region was comparable to North American sales, with the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region showing explosive growth 鈥� and now it is official!聽Our data shows EMEA with 139.6% and APJ with 49.7% Cyber Week GMV growth. Customers in countries like Germany (+314.3% GMV), the United Kingdom (+106.1% GMV), and South Korea (+12.3% GMV), continue to adopt this sales event, and it鈥檚 looking like a mainstay for the future.聽

A Village Is Key to Success

To achieve this kind of success takes months of work from entire teams 鈥� both from our customers鈥� side and from 麻豆原创. By infusing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation tools to predict, prevent, and address issues proactively, our team of dedicated engineers created 360-degree action plans for our customers and created recommendations to help achieve peak holiday success. With 24×7 control room support, real-time monitoring, and risk mitigation, 麻豆原创 helped ensure seamless performance and availability during peak traffic periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with 100% uptime, setting a new benchmark for holiday readiness.

To learn how 麻豆原创 Customer Experience solutions can help your organization drive transformational innovation, .

Balaji Balasubramanian is senior vice president and global head of Commerce & Industry Cloud at 麻豆原创.

麻豆原创 supports businesses globally with a powerful commerce solution fit for the future. At a time when commerce trends are evolving faster than ever and customer demands continue to rise, remains a reliable foundation for agility, speed, and stability.

Businesses across industries are using the solution to boost profitability and achieve sustainable growth. Carhartt, an iconic brand crafting durable, premium workwear since 1889, uses 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud to create an omnichannel e-commerce presence that matches the brand鈥檚 legacy of quality and accessibility. As Carhartt continues to expand its reach and transforms from workwear leader to fashion icon, the brand can exceed customer expectations.

鈥淐arhartt鈥檚 job is to get products into the hands of hardworking folks, when and how they want them. 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud helps us do just that. We needed a solution that could stand up to task during the busiest times of the year,鈥� said Donavan Marchywka, director of Digital Solutions for Carhartt Inc. 鈥溌槎乖� Commerce Cloud holds up from an infrastructure and performance standpoint. The solution reacts to traffic so customers can connect with our products. When we transformed our e-commerce experience on 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud, not only did we get the benefits of this new technology, but we also got the chance to rethink the design of our site鈥攁nd do it right.鈥�

In addition to Carhartt, notable B2C brands and household names from Nestl茅 to use 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud to stay ahead of the competition in increasingly saturated and competitive markets. B2B leaders such as and HORSCH keep industries moving by using the solution to stabilize and scale their e-commerce marketplaces.

Startups and innovators setting out to create a more sustainable future 鈥� like MVV Enamic and 鈥� are using it to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) and new technologies as they emerge.

Even public sector and government organizations, including , are creating standout experiences with 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud.

These brands join others, such as  , , , and , that rely on 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud to drive profitable growth for their businesses.

麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud is part of the portfolio. The combination of integrated solutions spanning commerce, marketing, sales, and service empowers businesses to connect with their customers in the moments that matter most. The 麻豆原创 Customer Experience portfolio also turns AI innovations into real business outcomes with intelligent tools that employees, customers, and other users are using every day.

To learn more about 麻豆原创鈥檚 position as a Leader and see in-depth analysis of the digital commerce landscape from Gartner, read the .

Ritu Bhargava is president and chief product officer for 麻豆原创 Customer Experience.

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce, Mike Lowndes, Sandy Shen, Jason Daigler, Aditya Vasudevan, 6 November, 2024.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
麻豆原创 was recognized as 麻豆原创 Hybris in 2014, 2016, and 2017.

Through Cyber Week, customers achieved over a 35% year-over-year (YoY) increase in the number of orders processed, an astounding amount of $110 million in peak gross merchandising value (GMV) per minute, and a 9.3% YoY increase in overall site traffic. Essential for driving site traffic and increasing conversions is customer engagement, and on Cyber Weekend, supported customers with a nine percent YoY increase of overall send volume across all channels. What鈥檚 more, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud customers achieved a 5.04% higher conversion rate versus 2022, and retailers saw a 5.2% higher conversion rate during Cyber Week.

This success was possible due to the reliability, scalability, and intelligence of for individually curated shopping journeys across the globe.

But at 麻豆原创, it is not just about the numbers. Deriving insights from data is at the heart of 麻豆原创 and the start to the holiday shopping season provided a treasure trove of learnings and understanding about how people are shopping and how retailers can optimize their experiences.

By serving some of the largest brands in the world through this holiday season, here is what we learned.

Insight One: The Definition of 鈥淗oliday Season鈥� Is Expanding

Traditionally, Black Friday is considered as a starting point for the holiday shopping season. However, recent research has revealed the holiday shopping is starting sooner and extending over the course of several weeks.

According to , an 麻豆原创 commerce media partner,  the longest path to purchase during the holidays is . This includes Singles Day, originated in China, on November 11 and El Buen Fin, Mexico鈥檚 version of Cyber Weekend from November 17 to November 20.

In 2023, 麻豆原创 Emarsys Customer Engagement saw a spike on Singles Day, nearly surpassing 1 billion customer engagements — for example, email, SMS, mobile push, and web push — two weeks ahead of Black Friday. This figure was then eclipsed not once but twice during El Buen Fin, which saw overall an approximate 30% YoY increase in messages delivered.

When looking at just email growth during this season, the growth of volume for the entire month of November was nearly twice what it was for Cyber Weekend. This not only underscores that holiday shopping is starting earlier, but how brands are scaling up sooner and avoiding sharp peaks, which is a win for deliverability too.

Newly emerging celebrations and extended shopping seasons also mean a higher and longer strain on e-commerce sites. However, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud prepared the customers to combat this challenge during these peak sales times leading up to Cyber Week, and delivered 100% uptime. In fact, customers that ran holiday sales events during El Buen Fin achieved 112% growth in conversion rate, with 10% higher traffic volume compared to the regular daily average of 2023.

Insight Two: Email Still Reigns, But Omnichannel Engagement Is Rapidly Growing

While overall 2023 holiday sales are expected to , online sales are expected to double and . More digitally advanced customer journeys and increasingly tech-savvy buyers present an exciting opportunity for businesses to engage with shoppers more often and on their preferred channels.

Aiming to capitalize on this opportunity and remain top of mind with shoppers, 麻豆原创 Emarsys customers sent a record number of omnichannel messages, resulting in a nine percent YoY increase in customer engagements from 2022. Email remained the top promotional channel in terms of volume and saw a respectable 10% YoY increase.

In addition to email, brands are also now investing heavily in omnichannel engagement strategies to meet customers where they prefer to shop. Mobile messages like SMS (35% YoY increase) and in-app (15% YoY increase) were utilized effectively alongside email, as were Web channel engagements, like Web push, which saw a whopping 74% increase in usage in 2023.

Insight Three: Personalization Proves Less is More

It is important to acknowledge that success does not equate to the quantity of messages, but also the quality. Bucking the notion that more is simply better, marketers using 麻豆原创 Emarsys increased utilization of data-driven segmentation by 20% compared to Cyber Weekend 2022, enabling more targeted offers and personalized messages. While conversion rates would naturally be expected to dip given the extra volume, this targeted and personalized approach contributed to minimal or no change compared to baseline conversion rates during a typical weekend.

Similarly, AI-powered product recommendations, delivered across channels, and also helped consumers find the right product or best deal  among the seemingly limitless choices — with confidence and ease. 

With consumers shopping for an extended period on more channels, brands have both an obligation to meet them where they are in their journey and an opportunity to earn their business and loyalty by investing in data-driven, omnichannel strategies that better match them with personalized offers on the items they wish to buy.

Insight Four: B2B Shoppers Share the Holiday Fever During Cyber Week

Black Friday is usually seen as an influential opportunity to create a revenue boost for retailers. However, 麻豆原创 has the privilege of working with many B2B commerce companies in addition to a large number of retailers.

According to our data, other industries outside of retail also experience the benefits of Black Friday and Cyber Monday pushes. While the retail industry had the highest volume of orders, consumer products and wholesale distribution came in close behind. Additionally, the chemicals industry saw a huge spike in AOV over the weekend and achieved a GMV increase of 51% YoY, while life sciences industry saw more than 120% YoY GMV growth.

These data points indicate that Cyber Week trends are no longer limited to retailers, as various industries now achieve bigger sales volume and revenue during this period. Moving forward, organizations across all industries must put their best foot forward during Cyber Weekend activities to support profitable growth.

Insight Five: Black Friday Isn鈥檛 Just About the U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday Anymore

The data from 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud also reflects the globalization trend. While North America led the biggest GMV number on Black Friday, the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region is comparable. In fact, the highest number of orders, about 800,000, was placed in EMEA. Additionally, the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region on Cyber Monday achieved over 130% growth in conversion rate compared to last year.

麻豆原创 Emarsys customers were also ready to leverage this trend and engage with customers around the world. On Cyber Monday, total send volumes saw significant YoY increases in multiple regions: by 20% in EMEA, over 27% in Middle and Eastern Europe (MEE), and over 15% in Asia.

The data also highlighted differences in how consumers shop and buy in different regions. Unsurprisingly email continued to be the most used channel across the board, though EMEA proved to be the only region, outside of the Americas, that saw high growth in email volume year-on-year with a 13% increase.

The MEE region saw a slight decrease in the use of email (-12% YoY) in favor of SMS, mobile push, and in-app messages. In APJ, where a mobile-first mindset is often the norm, usage of in-app (58% YoY growth) and mobile push (176% YoY growth) went up significantly compared to email growth (two percent YoY). Even in EMEA, SMS (53% YoY growth) and in-app (388% YoY growth) mobile messages outpaced email growth, underscoring the importance of an omnichannel strategy.

This data illustrates the global influence of Black Friday, what used to be considered an U.S.-specific sales event. For businesses across the globe, it is crucial to recognize this shift and consider customer behaviors, so they can adapt and evolve their commerce and channel engagement strategies to gain customer loyalty and boost profitability.

Next Step

As market trends evolve, organizations must proactively adopt strategies for profitable and sustainable growth. With the right blend of modern technologies, agile business processes, and customer centric strategies, businesses significantly benefit from extended shopping season, through personalized omnichannel engagements, increased conversions, and lifelong customer loyalty. 

Moreover, with the right choice of cloud technologies, organizations can remain secure and compliant, while delivering reliable, scalable, and personalized experiences that are optimized for their industries.

To learn more about how 麻豆原创 Customer Experience solutions can help, please .

Balaji Balasubramanian is senior vice president and global head of Commerce and Industry Cloud at 麻豆原创.

*All data presented here is approximate and is based on various assumptions. All data is unaudited and is subject to adjustment. All financial figures are in USD. Data represents online and offline sales made by 麻豆原创 global merchants.

鈥淚f you have your consumers 鈥� in our case 鈥榝ans鈥� 鈥� benefit at the heart of everything that you do, everyone is going to win,鈥� Josh Ehren, Gibson Brands global head of Direct-to-Consumer, told 麻豆原创 at NRF 2023. 鈥淚t is not just a technology that goes into it; it is an understanding of how you communicate.鈥�

communications strategy is playing lead, informing how tech enables its fan engagement, Ehren stated after a fireside chat with , now part of 麻豆原创, at 麻豆原创鈥檚 booth. And the Nashville-based guitar manufacturer鈥檚 fanbase extends beyond its legendary Les Paul collab and into its family of brands that include amps, pedals, , and more.

鈥淲e have the most amazing, loyal, obsessed fans for our instruments and for our brands,鈥� Ehren said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our job to make sure that we connect with them in the ways that they want to connect with us 鈥� and [in] an easy way for them.鈥�

This is where technology joins the band.

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When Tech Plays Rhythm

Technology helps Gibson understand what each fan wants, what makes an individual鈥檚 journey unique, and how fans interact with the brand, according to Ehren. And fan journeys can range from a noob who has never touched catgut all the way to an artist who makes her living strumming six strings.

鈥淭hat is a massive span of different individualized types of fans that we connect with,鈥� Ehren said in an . 鈥淲e take that information, and that鈥檚 how we can actually craft how we stay connected with them.鈥�

This might mean inviting the aforementioned novice to a try a lesson via or to watch a video on , according to Ehren. Or it could include recommending select accessories to an artist for a specific guitar in his quiver.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 really how we are utilizing that [tech] to connect,鈥� Ehren said. 鈥淲e go through all the way to the end of that spectrum.鈥�

Gibson wasn鈥檛 the only brand at NRF singing the praises of a strategy/tech duet. Other retailers also see tech-driven engagement as essential for growth.

Everything from A to G

Before the pandemic, American home improvement retailer Lowe鈥檚 Companies Inc. updated its legacy e-commerce platform, according to Chairman and CEO Marvin Ellison. Similar to Gibson鈥檚 broad customer spectrum, Mooresville, North Carolina-based Lowe鈥檚 serves everyone from full-time contractors to a new homeowner鈥檚 first do-it-yourself (DIY) project.

鈥淚f we had not made those investments in retail fundamentals, it would have been a catastrophically bad environment for our customers and for us as a company,鈥� Ellison said during . 鈥淲e put the investments in place…continuing to grow our online and omnichannel capabilities, merchandising, selection 鈥� making sure we serve our pro and DIY customers at the highest possible level.鈥�

Such savvy use of tech and data can help organizations ensure they鈥檙e serving all segments of their customer base, as Gibson鈥檚 Ehren noted. He advocates for both internal stakeholders and those across Gibson鈥檚 vast dealer network to let the data tell them what is and isn鈥檛 working.

鈥淭hat data is really going to help us understand: Are we connecting with our fans? To what extent are we connecting with our fans? Is it working?鈥� Ehren said. 鈥淭hat will inform our road map. That will inform how we optimize…Data is absolutely imperative in everything that we do.鈥�

This includes how Gibson meets customer experience challenges, especially those that are even bigger than competing for share-of-wallet.

Putting Customers First Ensures That Everybody Wins

鈥淚t starts with the share-of-time,鈥� Ehren said. 鈥淭o me, that鈥檚 the biggest hurdle.鈥�

The point of sale can鈥檛 be the end of a customer鈥檚 journey, according to Ehren. Gibson wants its fans to rock on 鈥� and on, and on.

鈥淚 care way more about getting over the hurdles of getting a share of their time because that means that I鈥檓 telling the right stories [and] connecting with them,鈥� Ehren said. 鈥淚f we can keep people playing…they鈥檙e happier, they鈥檙e engaged, and it works for us as well.鈥�

All of this engagement supports the entire business 鈥� regardless of where they buy, according to Ehren. His job as global head of D2C is to help them decide on the right products for their individual needs.

鈥淚f they want to understand a little bit more about this guitar, a little bit about more about this amp, etc., and then go to gibson.com or to the , or to one of our dealers 鈥� wherever they want to make that purchase 鈥� they are absolutely able to,鈥� Ehren said. 鈥淎nd I encourage it because, again, everyone wins.鈥�

Derek Klobucher is a video producer at 麻豆原创.

鈥淢ore and more of our users are coming online…[and] they still want to have the similar guidance and the systems they had in-store,鈥� Ganna Lobachevska, the touchpoint owner of Product Finder and Product Guidance at , told 麻豆原创 at NRF 2023 for a new video. 鈥淥ur overall goal is to make it easier for our users to find the right accessory for their job.鈥�

Of course, making something easy to do on the front end is seldom easy to build on the back end. And that was Bosch鈥檚 challenge when helping online shoppers narrow their search for the perfect jigsaw blade, drill bit, or abrasive wheel from a truly massive accessory portfolio.

鈥淎ny company with a wide range of products has to think how they can simplify the user journey…and how they can make it easier for the customers to find the right product,鈥� Lobachevska said. 鈥淲ith the Bosch , we provide a solution that makes it easier and faster.鈥�

Building that easier, faster solution meant finding a high-tech way to satisfy a peculiar demand by online shoppers.

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When Brick-and-Mortar Set the Bar (Almost) Too High

Selecting a specific power tool accessory for a specific job 鈥� and ensuring it鈥檚 compatible with your specific power tool 鈥� are big reasons that people historically shopped at brick-and-mortar stores, according to Lobachevska. It makes sense, right? You can consult with a knowledgeable human sales associate.

But Bosch鈥檚 e-commerce customers expect the same in-store-style expertise via a quick and painless online exchange, according to Lobachevska. And she doesn鈥檛 seem worried.

鈥淭he Accessory Advisor guides the user through a series of very simple questions,鈥� Lobachevska said. 鈥淚n the end, they have three perfect recommendations for the work they want to do.鈥�

It鈥檚 pretty much an online conversation that yields the right product, according to Lobachevska. And Bosch found the right tech 鈥� and partners 鈥� to make these virtual dialogues happen.

Tech to the Rescue

鈥淲e realized that there is a need for a better user guidance,鈥� Lobachevska said of Bosch鈥檚 decision to go with , a Boston-based digital commerce search platform and partner solution in 麻豆原创鈥檚 industry cloud. 鈥淚t offered us the best.鈥�

Zoovu鈥檚 Semantic Studio translates technical jargon into e-commerce-friendly prose, which saves time for both Bosch data managers and shoppers. A few artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted questions later, and these accessory hunters have enjoyed a smooth, seamless customer experience.

鈥淭his means that our customers spend less time searching for a product,鈥� Lobachevska said. 鈥淎nd when they purchase the product, it鈥檚 the right one and they are more satisfied.鈥�

This increases efficiency, according to Lobachevska. It also cuts down on returns and poor online reviews.

Powering Forward

Whether in-store or online, Bosch digital assistants and 麻豆原创 Marketing Cloud connect to improve Bosch鈥檚 data analytics, business insights, and customer experience, . Those digital assistants have already helped enhance the customer experience for more than 1 million Bosch shoppers across more than 35 global markets, boosting engagement up to 65% as well as increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction.

And still more can be done by connecting all of that to the Accessory Advisor, according to Lobachevska.

鈥淲e would like to connect the Bosch Accessory Advisor with our CRM system, which is basically 麻豆原创 Marketing Cloud,鈥� Lobachevska said. 鈥淭his will allow us to gain business insights, to build better personas, and to make the user experience even better because it鈥檒l be more personalized.鈥�

Enter Replacements Ltd., which offers to help customers identify, restore, or repair damaged pieces of history. Since its founding in 1981, the Greensboro, North Carolina-based retailer has preserved and archived more than 450,000 patterns; these represent about 11 million pieces of china, crystal, silverware, and other collectibles.

鈥淲e want our customers to continue their traditions, to gather with their family and friends, to give that gift to their family member, to help them start their own collection,鈥� Replacements Chief Marketing Officer Lihn Calhoun told 麻豆原创 for a new at NRF 2023. 鈥淪o we want to find the customers, understand what they鈥檙e looking for, and match that together.鈥�

Data and analytics are vital in Replacements鈥� efforts to connect customers with the right piece, according to Calhoun. This includes how Replacements stores and archives each item; how the company presents products and services to the customer; and how 鈥� and how often 鈥� to send personalized, meaningful communications.

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How To Better Understand Your Customers

Replacements puts a premium on learning about its customers鈥� interests and collections, according to Calhoun. Doing so is crucial to helping each shopper find exactly the right item among the aforementioned 450,000 patterns and 11 million pieces.

鈥淗aving that information in our technology platform 鈥� and being able to aggregate that in a useful way 鈥� allows us to better connect each piece to that new person to create that new story,鈥� Calhoun said . 鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing that right from the start, in terms of collecting that customer information, understanding the patterns of interest, and making that connection.鈥�

The COVID-19 pandemic hastened Replacements鈥� transition to ecommerce and, therefore, smoother, more relevant connection with customers, according to Calhoun. is now a big part of the company鈥檚 tech-driven effort to share the highly specific product information it has painstakingly archived 鈥� and to empower its customers.

Innovating to Empower Your Customers

Three types of customers visit Replacements online, according to Calhoun. There are generally shoppers who are looking to buy, people looking to sell their vintage pieces to Replacements, and others who are simply browsing or researching.

鈥淥ne of the things that they鈥檙e looking to do is to identify a pattern…[Before the pandemic] you would call us, you would describe it, you would send us a picture,鈥� Calhoun said of the process, which was time-intensive for both customers and Replacements. Today, the company鈥檚 Web site features a camera icon that handles the photography and speedy pattern recognition for china and crystal. 鈥淚t went from potentially days to minutes.鈥�

Benefits of the rollout include helping sellers and researchers identify patterns faster as well as freeing up time for employees to accomplish other tasks, according to Calhoun. And a pleasant surprise was that customers looking to buy were exploring pieces that they might not have otherwise discovered 鈥� which has positively impacted revenue.

鈥淲e have improved efficiency internally,鈥� Calhoun said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檝e given that power to the user on our Web site.鈥�

How Data Informs Decisions

鈥�Replacements uses technology to improve people鈥檚 lives by making it easier for them to gather with their family and friends, create that memorable experience, and pass along traditions,鈥� Calhoun told 麻豆原创 during the video interview. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what differentiates us, really…We do that so that we can preserve all these amazing pieces.鈥�

Just the sight of a long-forgotten pattern can evoke strong memories, according to Calhoun. Walking through Replacements鈥� 500,000-square-foot warehouse, she noticed someone unpack the same pattern that her great-grandmother used.

鈥淚mmediately I saw my grandmother鈥檚 dining room table 鈥� how she pre-set it every evening in preparation for breakfast 鈥� and the memory was that strong, that visual,鈥� Calhoun said. 鈥淭hose memories help us; they feed our heart and our soul.鈥�

That鈥檚 why data is crucial to Replacements for both finding vintage items for shoppers 鈥� nurturing core customers and collectors 鈥� and simultaneously introducing its massive inventory to new audiences, according to Calhoun. These are different demographics who all desire to own pieces of history.

鈥淵ou should still have your stories, your brand connections, your human connections, the emotional connections,鈥� Calhoun said. 鈥淏ut the data helps you better target and provide the communication to your customer at the right time, the right way.鈥�

Swarovski says it wants to offer high-quality experiences that draw on the its long heritage in luxury. Particularly, the company wants to make its presence felt in the top cities of this world. After all, that is where trends are created and culture is shaped.

Swarovski is due to open a new flagship store on New York鈥檚 Fifth Avenue this year, and with U.S. model Bella Hadid as the current brand ambassador and rapper Doja Cat, Swarovski is very much a part of the cultural conversation. Swarovski wants to enchant customers with unique savoir-faire in creativity, craftsmanship, and quality, which have been perfected in the company’s 128-year history.

Digital as a Key Resource for LUXignite

Digital plays a key role in the implementation of the new LUXignite strategy. Innovation has been in the company’s DNA since it was founded by Daniel Swarovski in 1895. Dr. Lea Sonderegger is responsible for the digital heart of Swarovski today. She started making money programming Web sites while still in school 鈭� back then in the Plain Text Editor. Sonderegger has been with Swarovski for 13 years and has held several leading global positions in digital new business development and e-commerce.

Sonderegger first suggested opening a mobile store at Swarovski in 2010. At the time, however, her ideas were met with skepticism. “Today, 70% of visits come via mobile devices, 70% of digital sales are mobile, and in China it’s almost 100%. That was not considered possible at the time,” she comments.

Since early 2022, Sonderegger holds the title of chief digital officer/chief information officer (CDO/CIO) and, as a member of the international Executive Committee, she is responsible for the global digital business, global IT, and data and analytics.

New Way of Leading and Teamwork

“Today, we live in a time of digital Darwinism,” she says. “A time when technology and society are evolving faster than companies are able to adapt.鈥� As a result, she says, it is crucial to respond quickly, strategically, and pragmatically to innovations. 鈥淭he new era also requires a new kind of leadership and teamwork,鈥� she adds.

In her CDO/CIO role, it is important to Sonderegger that IT no longer thinks in terms of modules and software solutions as it used to, but in terms of creating value. “IT is no longer just an enabler, and technology no longer a pure means to an end. IT must optimally support the core company processes 鈥� create, make, and sell 鈥� and generate value itself. Only in this way can digital become a competitive advantage,” says Sonderegger.

At Swarovski, the digital leaders plan their strategies together with the functional heads. “So that we all row in the same direction,” says Sonderegger. After all, the technologies are only as good as the people behind them. That is why their ability to use data and technologies to create value 鈥� the human “digital dexterity” 鈥� is a pivotal pillar of Swarovski’s digital strategy.

“Entrepreneurial thinking in every little action is the key to success,” Sonderegger claims. The fact that she is also responsible for the profit and loss of the global e-commerce business in her CDO/CIO role ignites the digital transformation strategy with entrepreneurial spirit.

40 Years of Partnership with 麻豆原创

Swarovski has embarked on the path of cloud transformation to remain competitive. In doing so, Sonderegger is building on a long-standing relationship with 麻豆原创. In fact, the family-owned company from Wattens in Tyrol, Austria still has an old contract it signed with 麻豆原创 40 years ago. “The signature of 麻豆原创 Founder Hasso Plattner is under the contract,” says Sonderegger. At that time, Swarovski bought “RF – Real-Time Financial Accounting.” It was the beginning of a long and successful partnership.

“This journey, which began 40 years ago, connects us,” says Sonderegger. In the next chapter, 麻豆原创 will work with the heritage brand on the next stage of its digital transformation, supporting its global expansion and diversification with technological innovation in terms of products and customer experience.

To achieve this goal, Swarovski chose and . “We want to move our entire 麻豆原创 software-based digital backbone and e-commerce landscape to the cloud,” says Sonderegger. Figures that illustrate the scope of the RISE with 麻豆原创 project include 15 terabytes of productive systems and 17 system landscapes including e-commerce.

“The strategic partnership with 麻豆原创 is fully aligned with Swarovski’s LUXignite strategy. We need a scalable platform to develop and operate competitive business processes,” says Sonderegger.

Technical Innovation as a Competitive Advantage

RISE with 麻豆原创 offers Swarovski the future-proof digital basis for the implementation of its own cloud strategy and the flexible and secure support of innovations in the cloud. “With our cloud transformation, we are able to not only support the LUXignite strategy; we are also able to increase our efficiency, reduce costs, and become much more flexible through the model agreed with 麻豆原创,” says Sonderegger.

麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud will also help support unique customer experiences across all channels. This is because omnichannel sales are important for Swarovski. Many customers shop online but pick up their purchases in the store or use the “endless aisle.” This way, customers have the option to buy in store what is not available on-site. Ordered immediately online, the products are delivered to the customer’s home in few days.

“We want to bring the latest customer experiences and features through the cloud. Because our customers are our queens, we must ensure they receive the best possible service,” says Sonderegger. “Their experience with the brand and the products must be perfect in all respects. For this, we need the right technology and, of course, the right people behind it 鈥� people who understand how to create value for our customers and our company.”

Photo courtesy of Swarovski

But clever use of the right data can help you deliver that improved customer experience 鈥� so your customers don鈥檛 find it elsewhere, according to David Witts, senior CRM manager for PUMA. And the global apparel company has enjoyed great success with referral data.

鈥淭hat adds a whole new level to who is not just buying 鈥� but who is referring 鈥� and who are our real brand advocates,鈥� Witts told 麻豆原创 on the NRF 2023 show floor. 鈥淲e need to rethink how we define loyalty.鈥�

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Redefining Customer Loyalty

鈥淲e might have a customer who, in our original segmentation, is a lapsed customer, but we see that they鈥檙e referring all of their friends who are then buying from us,鈥� Witts said in . 鈥淭hat changes the way we perceive the value of that customer 鈥� and changes the way that we want to communicate with them.鈥�

Customer segmentation is the grouping together of people with similar characteristics, making it easier for organizations to personalize communications, products, and more. First-party referral data is especially useful to PUMA for segmentation and communication, according to Witts.

鈥淚t changes the way we think about who a customer is,鈥� Witts said. 鈥淚f we see customers who are referring people regularly, that makes them much more of a brand advocate.鈥�

Enter PUMA鈥檚 referral program, which influences how the company communicates and rewards brand advocates, according to Witts. The referral program was inspired by two company goals: increase customer lifetime value and cultivate relationships with customers.

鈥淎dding a referral program just seemed to fit with both of those goals,鈥� Witts said. 鈥淚f we see that they鈥檙e not showing any interest in buying from us but they鈥檙e still referring their friends, that changes the way we think about them, so that they鈥檙e much more valuable to us.鈥�

Creating Opportunities

Beyond e-commerce, the right data can offer insights that reinvigorate brick-and-mortar locations, too, as Macy鈥檚 Inc. Chairman and CEO Jeff Gennette noted. Data can reveal where you鈥檙e succeeding and what needs attention.

鈥淐ustomers are looking for ideas about the way that they can take a work look and translate it into a night look. They鈥檙e looking for opportunities,鈥� Gannette said during . 鈥淐reating opportunities for them, from a merchandising perspective, has given our stores a center of gravity that they didn鈥檛 have a year ago…We鈥檙e always working on it; we鈥檙e never done.鈥�

And pandemic-driven changes in the economy offered a chance for Saks OFF 5th 鈥渢o make bold new changes鈥� and adjust its thinking, according to President and CEO Paige Thomas. The department store chain dug into its data to discover who was engaging with the brand, what they were looking for, and more about their lifestyles 鈥� all to better understand relevant demographics.

鈥淲e had this kind of wonderful discovery of a really fast-growing segment within our customer base, and this segment was a high earner, very fashion-driven, and shopped everywhere,鈥� Thomas said during . 鈥淚t really gave us a bull鈥檚-eye as an organization to say, 鈥楬ow do we think about our merchandising strategy? How do we think about our marketing strategy? How do we think about our customer experience?鈥欌��

The Right Message at the Right Time

Data, analytics, and other tech are helping PUMA discover who is interested in buying and what they鈥檙e interested in buying, according to Witts. It also helps them hyper-personalize communication.

鈥淲e want to talk to the right customer with the right message at the right time through the right channel…That鈥檚 what we can do with ,鈥� Witts said, noting that PUMA can see which e-mails a customer opens, ignores, and clicks through. 鈥淭hrough all that, we can start to build that picture of each individual customer and then tailor our communications to send them things that they want to see.鈥�

Providing a differentiated customer experience has always been vital for PUMA, according to Witts. And making everything more personalized and relevant will be crucial to PUMA鈥檚 future success.

鈥淭here鈥檚 some really exciting things that we鈥檝e seen through 麻豆原创 Emarsys Customer Engagement and through 麻豆原创 at that predictive analytics [and] AI level. I think it鈥檚 just going to make it all so much easier,鈥� Witts said. 鈥淎nd as we move into more of a loyalty space, that鈥檚 absolutely going to be key for us.鈥�

Derek Klobucher is a video producer at 麻豆原创.

In today’s complex and multi-channel marketplace, organizations must constantly optimize to deal with emerging channels and new competitors while serving their customers best-in-class experiences to earn their trust and loyalty. Commerce systems that are not built for this design principle cannot help organizations adapt quickly or cost effectively.

Compose on Your Own Terms, Not Your Vendor鈥檚

At , 麻豆原创 is pre-announcing its new 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud composable offering, a different approach to composability than what has been available in the market thus far. This offering is predicated on the recognition that every industry and enterprise is unique and that existing one-size-fits-all approaches to composability are not ideal for most businesses. Through this 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud composable offering, merchants will be able to compose commerce experiences that best suit their individual needs today, wherever they are in their digital maturity journey, without jeopardizing flexibility down the line.

For example, some businesses may want a more traditional, 鈥渁ll-in-one鈥� approach across areas such as order management, product information management, content management, personalization, and marketing engagement. Meanwhile, more digitally mature enterprises may want to compose best-of-breed digital commerce experiences and can now do so on a single platform. 麻豆原创鈥檚 unique approach to composable commerce can give our merchants that level of flexibility as well as anything in between, enabling them to future proof their investment without sacrificing agility. By adopting best-of-breed 麻豆原创 and partner solutions on top of a highly flexible and proven platform, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud customers can extend the solution鈥檚 capabilities and create an offering that fits their own unique business strategy, today and tomorrow.

Digital Commerce Composability Done Right

With 麻豆原创鈥檚 unique approach to composable commerce, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud customers can drive profitability through agility by leveraging a feature-rich, extensible 鈥渄igital anchor鈥� solution, coupled with a vast pre-integrated and certified partner ecosystem. With its continuous innovation delivery model, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud enables merchants to focus on delighting customers instead of investing in table-stakes capabilities that require stitching together disjointed solutions not designed to be interoperable at scale. 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud, composable storefront, the solution鈥檚 full API-coverage, 鈥渉eadless with-a-head鈥� software, in conjunction with 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP) and Kyma Runtime, enables developers to extend 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud functionality with containerized microservices and serverless functions while keeping pace with their customers鈥� expectations.

Highly Curated and Strategic Partner Solutions

A rich and vibrant partner ecosystem is a key aspect of digital commerce success, so 麻豆原创 is also introducing strategic relationships with the following curated, best-of-breed vendors from its existing extensive partner ecosystem:

• helps businesses connect, create, and extend content more efficiently so they can build faster and deliver at scale, no matter the channel or touchpoint.
• provides artificial intelligence (AI)-powered search and discovery, recommendations, and personalization to improve merchant profitability through higher conversion, increased average order value, and customer lifetime value.
• provides an easy-to-use product experience management solution for retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and brands to organize and enrich product content, delivering impactful product experiences across all owned and third-party channels on a modern cloud-native platform.
• powers one-click checkout, identity, accounts, payments, and post-purchase infrastructure, helping to reduce friction for the customer by turning every checkout moment into an opportunity and driving higher conversion for the business.
• enables businesses to capitalize on the platform economy by bringing their digital marketplace to life, expanding their business vertically to deepen customer and channel partner relationships and drive profitability while simultaneously reducing inventory risk.
• supports the entire pricing journey, from setting optimal prices and managing the rebate process to maximizing your organization鈥檚 pricing power.

Benefit from an Industry-First Approach to Digital Commerce

麻豆原创鈥檚 long and rich history of helping organizations from more than 25 industries grow and transform enables us to tap into our deep industry knowledge and expertise to deliver industry-specific digital commerce capabilities.

Unlike other commerce vendors that emphasize strength of technology alone, 麻豆原创 is taking a more customer-centric approach by also pre-announcing the availability of our headless composable storefronts for financial services, travel, telecommunications, utilities, and public sector, on top of our currently available B2C and B2B composable storefronts for retail, consumer products, wholesale distribution, and industrial manufacturing. Industry add-ons can provide unique business workflows with pre-configured tools, capabilities, and storefronts that help shorten time-to-market, increase operational efficiency, and drive sustainably profitable growth through digital commerce.

Hear from our partners and customers:

“With 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud’s approach to composability, we’ve been able to create our own commerce platform with solutions we need, such as Contentful, to deliver the best commerce experience to customers. 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud is the essential power to implement business agility and flexibility, and ultimately to generate increased profitability for us.”聽

鈥� Matthieu Houle, CIO, ALDO Group

“麻豆原创’s approach to composable commerce provides agility, flexibility, and extensibility with its feature-rich commerce platform. As our customers focus on profitability in this uncertain economic climate, we’re excited to support their digital commerce growth via 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud.”

鈥� Deepak Sobhani, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP

鈥溌槎乖粹�檚 composable commerce approach allows us to work with customers in a way that offers significant extensibility on top of a proven, robust feature set.聽We’re excited to create the most flexible, scalable, and customer-centric solutions with these world-class ISV partners while maximizing the business value of our customer’s investments.鈥�

鈥� Ryan Heusinkveld, Chief Technology Officer, Smith

鈥淲e are thrilled to join with 麻豆原创 as the content partner for 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud, composable storefront. The Contentful Composable Content Platform meets the unique demands of digital teams by making it easy to orchestrate content from multiple sources and publish to any digital channel. This helps companies reach new customers faster, maximize their 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud investment, and drive revenue.鈥�

鈥� 鈥疭teve Sloan, CEO, Contentful

鈥淲e are thrilled to have Coveo certified as an 麻豆原创 endorsed app. 麻豆原创 has been a natural partner for Coveo in B2B and B2C commerce. Together, we extend digital commerce capabilities to unlock profitable commerce growth with AI. Our enterprise-class AI platform complements the 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud portfolio by helping companies power online buying experiences we believe today鈥檚 shoppers expect 鈥� fast, dynamic, effective product discovery and relevant recommendations 鈥� and also provide the AI platform merchandisers need to maximize business outcomes versus managing manual rules.”鈥�

鈥� Louis T锚tu, CEO and Chairman at Coveo

Drive Digital Commerce Excellence across the Entire Value Chain

By seamlessly and comprehensively connecting demand signals with the supply chain, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud enables enterprises to drive profitable growth, regardless of their industry, business model, or level of digital maturity. 麻豆原创 is consistently recognized as a leading digital commerce solution vendor by Gartner, IDC, Paradigm B2B, and other industry analysts. 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud can provide a highly scalable, fully featured, and flexible commerce platform for B2B, B2C, or B2B2C use cases.

麻豆原创 reaffirms its commitment to the digital commerce and customer experience categories and is taking a bold step into the future with a unique, industry-led approach to composability that puts merchants鈥� digital commerce needs front and center.

To learn more,聽 .

Riad Hijal is global head of Marketing and Solutions for 麻豆原创 Commerce.

Whether it鈥檚 streaming services, cell phones, or robotic lawn mowers, today鈥檚 consumers are more than happy to enjoy the convenience of buying high-tech products and services online. In a matter of mouse-clicks, they can configure a product and select whether to buy, lease, or subscribe 鈥� depending on their personal preferences.

But things are very different when it comes to buying a new car. A found that three out of four consumers still prefer to purchase from an authorized vehicle dealership. Yet it also revealed that there was a growing appreciation of the benefits of virtual purchase processes. Consumers would like to see buying a new car become like buying a new cell phone.

鈥淥ur assumption is that there will always be people who visit physical dealerships to 鈥渇eel鈥� a car and test-drive it,鈥� explains Bj枚rn Schick, CXO and member of the executive board of smart聽Europe. 鈥淏ut it won鈥檛 be long before they become the minority and more people start configuring and ordering their cars online 鈥� in just a few quick steps.鈥�

Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Vehicle Sales Are Booming

How soon that happens, Schick says, will depend hugely on whether suitably attractive offers are available. Increasingly, customers are willing to sign contracts online if they can obtain a favorable short-term lease or subscription deal on transparent terms. They then have a tendency to be more adventurous in their choice of car model and color.

鈥淭hey鈥檒l quite deliberately opt for a sportier model, maybe, or bright yellow paintwork,鈥� says Schick. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 because the focus is not on the vehicle鈥檚 resale value when the contract ends, but on the customer鈥檚 preferences.鈥�

Many of today鈥檚 market players 鈥� both established and new 鈥� are well aware of the business opportunities behind this change in consumer habits. They are muscling their way into online channels to claim their share of the rapidly growing D2C vehicle market. Alongside electric car pioneer Tesla, brands including NIO and Polestar are showing the way 鈥� and automakers across the world are following their lead.

Direct Sales on a Single E-Commerce Platform

smart Europe also sees strong prospects for its own new-vehicle business here and is aligning its entire company infrastructure accordingly. smart Europe is a wholly owned subsidiary of smart Automobile Co., Ltd., a joint venture established in 2019 between iconic German vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, which transferred its smart brand to the partnership, and Chinese automaker Geely. The aim of the joint venture is to offer all-electric smart models on a new e-commerce platform for climate-conscious, city-dwelling consumers for whom the online world is second nature.

鈥淥ur business model is based on direct business with consumers, whom we address through an omnichannel approach so that we can sell our cars virtually and physically on a single platform,鈥� explains Schick.

Car dealerships play their part in this business model too. 鈥淲e see them as a key element in our sales strategy,鈥� says Schick. 鈥淭heir role is changing, but it鈥檚 just as important as before. As a newly formed company, we鈥檝e got the chance to reinvent and recalibrate our dealership model.鈥� Dealers will no longer own vehicles themselves and sell them, but will serve as brand ambassadors for (joint) customers at the physical retail touchpoint and as sales and service partners. They will arrange test drives, hand vehicles over to their new owners, and invite customers to events targeted at particular client segments. In short: car dealerships as we know them today will no longer function chiefly as sales outlets, but as agencies that showcase the brand.

麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud as the Process Backbone for smart Europe

The foundation for this innovative style of cooperation is smart鈥檚 new e-commerce platform, which can be accessed not only by smart Europe employees and dealers but, for example, by repair shops as well. They can each see the data the customer has given its consent for them to access. The new platform will become operational at the end of 2022, coinciding with the launch of the first new smart #1.

Central to the platform is , on which all of smart Europe鈥檚 e-commerce transactions will run, from product configuration to payment. 鈥溌槎乖� Commerce Cloud lets us map all the country-specific tax and legal requirements so that we can manage all the processes for our business across Europe on a single platform,鈥� explains Schick.

Coupled with 麻豆原创 Customer Data Cloud, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud also plays a key role in delivering hyper-personalized content on the front end because, when the two solutions are integrated, they push relevant data for a given set of parameters by country and customer segment. This means that, on the new e-commerce platform, someone who is sporty, adventurous, and has an eye for design will see different content and journeys than, say, someone with a different psychographic profile, such as an 鈥渋nformation seeker.鈥�

Accurate and Secure Consent Management Built In

麻豆原创 Customer Data Cloud and 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud form the backbone for authenticating and verifying customers and for managing customer consent. The 麻豆原创 Customer Identity and Access Management solutions help ensure that all customer consent statements relating to being contacted or to personal data being processed are handled accurately and securely and 鈥� most importantly 鈥� in compliance with GDPR (the EU General Data Protection Regulation).

The major advantage of 麻豆原创 Customer Data Cloud is that it records all customer data centrally, including conventional data like the personal 鈥渟mart ID鈥� that identifies any smart customer at any touchpoint and relevant product data as well. The digital key is an example of how this data can be used: owners of an all-electric smart can opt for a digital key to operate their car and can even share the key with friends via an app. The vehicle-locking mechanism, consent to the transfer of data, and so on are managed on the central platform.

鈥淭his shows that the new platform is much more than a marketing and sales tool,鈥� says Schick. 鈥淚t is practically part of the product.鈥�

Enhanced 360-Degree View Supports New Business Models

More product data comes from the 麻豆原创 Digital Vehicle Hub application, which serves as the digital twin of any smart car. The application contains not only technical data about a vehicle, but also provides insight into wearing parts that need replacing and about driver behavior. Connecting these two layers, customer data and product data 鈥� each of which allows a panoramic view of their object 鈥� creates 360-degree visibility into both the customer and their vehicle. This in turn opens the door to scores of new digital services, product enhancements, and personalized customer offerings.

鈥淗aving opportunities like this on the horizon makes working with 麻豆原创 particularly compelling,鈥� says Schick. 鈥淲e鈥檙e on an innovation journey, interacting closely with 麻豆原创 on what else the solutions might be able to do in the future.鈥� smart Europe鈥檚 aim is to deliver on its vision of becoming an urban companion for its target market 鈥� for all of their vehicle-related service needs.

鈥淥ur motto is 鈥榯ry, learn, adjust, repeat!鈥欌�� says Schick. 鈥淲ith that in mind, we鈥檒l keep moving steadily along the road to our destination 鈥� but always be ready to change lanes if we need to.鈥�

Top image courtesy of smart Europe.

But the fun of my conversation with Lamees Butt, SVP Global Alliances & Channels at Zoovu, was more about the sheer inventiveness of the offering itself than the name. You know how everybody loves to tell you about their 鈥渞evolutionary鈥� new products? Well, Butt quickly convinced me that the Zoovu app, one of the hottest sellers on 麻豆原创 Store, really is. As for the name 鈥� I鈥檒l get to that later.

Transforming Discovery

Product discovery: that鈥檚 what Zoovu is revolutionizing. While online search does keep improving, the truth is that you still have to know what you鈥檙e looking for. Zoovu 鈥渉umanizes鈥� product discovery, Butt told me, making products easier to find, evaluate, and buy by bringing context to your search.

鈥淢ost e-commerce sites are not much more than indexes or digital catalogs,鈥� she commented, 鈥渘ot well organized or structured. Say you need a new laptop and go online to do some research. Where do you start? You鈥檒l probably be asked to specify, for instance, how much RAM you need, how much CPU. What does that mean?鈥� She added a shocking statistic: 80% of organizations believe they are offering a good user experience. Only 8% of buyers agree.

Imagine instead being guided through the process with relevant questions and interactive buying advice. With Zoovu integrated into your commerce experience, Butt explained, you are asked the questions the knowledgeable sales assistant would pose in-store. For example, what do you typically do with your laptop? Say you run a lot of spreadsheets, meet colleagues virtually online, travel on business, design flyers for community events, and construct crossword puzzles. Voil脿! With five questions, the digital assistant translates your needs and recommends you a laptop. Essentially, it uses artificial intelligence (AI) and semantics to personalize your search.

That鈥檚 a simple example for a B2C use case. Now imagine a complex purchase for a B2B buyer 鈥� a hospital upgrading X-ray equipment, for example, or a contractor building aircraft components. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so easy to make a mistake in specifications or choose the wrong product,鈥� Butt said, 鈥渁nd there typically are no tools on commerce for cross-checking product compliance. With our solution, by connecting the back-office product content and exposing it to the front-office commerce experience, there is zero error.鈥�

Converting Prospects

Since 麻豆原创 Store is such a valuable resource for 麻豆原创 account executives, who can learn about and recommend partner offerings, I broached concern about the app eliminating sales people鈥檚 jobs. On the contrary, she replied, it can serve as an assistant for them, too. Customers can get answers to simpler questions on their own and free up the experts for transactions that require their know-how. Account executives can work with customers to better understand what they need and adapt their sales approach in real time 鈥� and dramatically improve conversion rates. Another Zoovu app on 麻豆原创 Store, , enables your end customer to virtually set, build, bundle, and configure complex products online while reducing manual intervention.

Innovating Through Integration

The Zoovu discovery experiences are integrated with 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud, 麻豆原创 Sales Cloud, and 麻豆原创 CPQ to work securely with any IT landscape. The Zoovu platform enriches product content automatically with industry-specific taxonomies and work across all industries. 鈥淭he qualifying questions,鈥� Butt remarked, 鈥渁re gold dust for companies that are building complex mechanics for their customers.鈥� Because of that tight integration, the apps scale across channels and regions and can easily be embedded at distribution partners via web, chat, and in-store kiosks.

I was intrigued about Butt鈥檚 role, since she is such an enthusiastic evangelist. She鈥檚 been a member of the Zoovu team as one of the first employees, coming in with a background in the digital transformation space. She noted that the company expanded quickly after it was established in 2017 by several young computer scientists, who surrounded themselves with smart people from diverse fields with different skill sets. Her responsibility is to help the company scale through partnerships, and 麻豆原创 is an ideal match, she observed, because of the product-customer fit. Let me add that she is 100% correct in that respect. The Zoovu apps set a record on 麻豆原创 Store with the speed of uptake from our customers.

It seems that an intern came up with 鈥淶oovu鈥� in the process of building a product subset, and it caught on. That intern, Butt added, is now part of the Zoovu leadership team.

Is your organization ready for a revolution in product discovery? Why not find out how on ?

Rajiv Nema is part of Marketplace Group for Digital Experiences at 麻豆原创.

But Cyber Week still reigns supreme for shoppers as the year鈥檚 most important shopping weekend. This year, 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud powered over US$8.3 billion in digital commerce gross merchandise value (GMV) for Cyber Week. Specifically, our retail customers saw a 22.3% increase in average order value (AOV) year over year.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is predicting compared with the same period last year, which is significantly lower than the 13% growth the year prior. We believe some of that growth can be attributed to as of late October.

Inflation 鈥� coupled with a looming recession 鈥� has affected shopper spending habits, but not in the ways most people would expect. Many insiders and analysts predicted that shoppers would be buying less and paying more, but with this season, deals and promotions have been plentiful. In addition, shoppers aren鈥檛 necessarily shopping less, but instead . To help with cash flow, many shoppers are dipping into savings, relying on credit cards, or taking advantage of buy-now-pay-later options at checkout to be sure that they can still make the holidays work for themselves and their loved ones.

Shoppers Are Looking for Deals and Promotions

These spending trends are reflected in shoppers鈥� online behaviors as well, evidenced by movement in site traffic. For Black Friday, overall site traffic for 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud customers increased 23% versus last year. For these same customers on Cyber Monday, overall site traffic increased 53%.

In addition to site traffic, retail customers leveraging 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud saw Black Friday conversion rates of 3.4 times more versus last year, as well as Cyber Monday conversion rates 2.9 times more versus last year.

What鈥檚 more impressive are the site traffic metrics and conversion rates when we zoom in on our business-to-consumer (B2C) retail customers running sales events, which show that shoppers are actively looking for deals and will buy if the deals are attractive enough. Black Friday traffic for retailers running 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud that executed sales events was 33% higher year over year, versus a 16% increase for the total data set. Conversion rates during these events were even more impressive, with an explosive 209% higher year over year for those that ran them, compared to a 4% increase for the total data set. On Cyber Monday, traffic for retailers running sales events using 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud was 58% higher year over year, versus a 40% increase for the total data set. Conversion rates were similarly great, coming in at 382% higher year over year for those that ran sales events, compared to 5% less year over year for the whole data set.

What to Expect and Key Recommendations for Brands

EMarketer鈥檚 Insider Intelligence , and with the current , it鈥檚 hard to say if spending will persist throughout the rest of the holiday shopping season into the new year.

Despite the current uncertainty, retailers can stay agile to cater to shoppers鈥� needs, meeting and exceeding their expectations while responding to dynamic market conditions. Having the right levers to pull at any time is key to successful holiday sales growth, so they should leverage their technology to monitor changing shopping behaviors and identify and convert on growth opportunities by quickly adding new touchpoints and experiences. Finally, they can ensure the last-mile journey for shoppers is frictionless by ensuring inventory levels will meet demand and fulfillment is not backlogged, ultimately avoiding the dreaded post-holiday returns that can eat into the growth they worked so hard for.

To learn more about 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud, .

All data presented here is approximate and is based on various assumptions. All data is unaudited and is subject to adjustment. All financial figures are in USD. Data represents online and offline sales made by 麻豆原创 global merchants.

As co-founder of the preeminent fraud-detection platform on the market 鈥� now available on 鈥� Reitblat told me that he has long experience in the 鈥渂ad guy space,鈥� building a successful career around staying ahead of bad actors. That means he鈥檚 the good guy for those making an honest living selling products and services online, and for buyers and shoppers making purchases digitally.

Known as 鈥淭he Trust Platform鈥� for digital commerce, Forter doesn鈥檛 focus on keeping people out, rather on creating a seamless customer experience for trusted shoppers. How is this done? Machine learning and automated decisioning. Built upon a data set of billions of online identities, the Forter platform provides accurate decisions on whether the end shopper is who they say they are instantly. This ability to provide real-time decisions also streamlines merchant operations, eliminating any dependence on manual transaction reviews. That鈥檚 the key to understanding the value of this great app.

The truth is that both online consumers and merchants are victimized by sophisticated, well-organized fraud networks, Reitblat explained, stealing and selling data in a chain of hard-to-detect transactions. To counteract that, merchants can inadvertently block shoppers who most need to purchase online because they fit the 鈥渨rong profile鈥� 鈥� living in a country known for a high preponderance of fraudsters, for example. Someone might live a long distance from a physical retailer and be unable to buy essential items online, through no fault of their own. 鈥淲e are here to give those buyers access, and that is a great source of pride,鈥� he remarked. Further, if a consumer faces hurdles to online purchasing because of clumsy verification processes, they鈥檒l just shop somewhere else. It is therefore crucial to eliminate false declines and reduce friction throughout the purchase journey.

Foiling Scams through a Circle of Trust

It’s somewhat ironic that the best way to thwart fraud is to operate in an environment of trust. In fact, trust among competitors is at the heart of Forter Fraud Protection. Criminals will target one type of company 鈥� a shoe manufacturer, for example 鈥� and, when detected, move on to exploit the next, giving them the advantage. 鈥淲e reverse that asymmetry,鈥� Reitblat said. 鈥淚f you attack one of our customers, the others are immunized, thanks to an aggregated global network of data. They would never share their data with each other, but they are happy to do it through us.鈥� Simply put, the Forter solution is built to recognize people through their data profile and authenticate them quickly and automatically.

I asked Reitblat about credit card protection. When a consumer reports a fraudulent charge, he replied, the onus is on the retailer, who is left with the expense and is subject to fines or suspension by the credit card issuers if there are too many instances. I was also curious about how Forter stays in front of the fraudsters. Let鈥檚 just say that Reitblat, who grew up in Israel and was once a member of the intelligence community there, has his people. 鈥淒etecting security breaches, theft, the dark economy 鈥� it’s the same world,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have an active research team staying on top of these constantly evolving threats.鈥�

Strength in Numbers

Reitblat co-founded Forter after working with a cybersecurity company that went through an acquisition 鈥� a crushing blow for him. Fortunately, he had reunited with an old high school friend from Jerusalem who also recognized that online commerce was about to take off. 鈥淚n 2013, we still had to convince investors of the need for an authentication capability, and that it had to be fully automated or otherwise would require too many people to be scalable.鈥� That resistance changed quickly, and today Forter is larger than many of its major customers, processing more than US$250 billion in transaction value per year and employing 500 professionals around the world. The solution is deployed in more than 30 countries.

The have resulted in a burst of demand that Reitblat and his partner could not have foreseen. Besides the explosion in online shopping, purchasing behavior and customer demographics across industries changed. New retail features appeared, like curbside pickup, buy online/pick up in store (BOPIS), and contactless check-in and check-out in the hospitality industry. New online buyers included senior citizens, students, and those in advancing geographies who had never transacted online before. Additionally, with the sudden surge of orders to be delivered to alternate addresses 鈥� holiday gifts, for example, or people purchasing for family members 鈥� e-commerce systems had an extra challenge in verifying legitimacy. That process was less complex for Forter customers because its customers were already authenticated in the system.

Forter Fraud Protection is tightly integrated with 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud. Laura Jorgens, director of Partnerships for Forter, acknowledged 麻豆原创 partner for its 鈥渋ncredible support鈥� in building out the integration. 鈥淲orking with 麻豆原创 and Netconomy feels like one ecosystem pulling together,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ats off to the 麻豆原创 partnership organization.鈥� With the inclusion of Forter鈥檚 solution on 麻豆原创 Store, she added, 鈥溌槎乖� has become one of Forter鈥檚 most important partners.鈥�

Why not see for yourself how works? The solution was just an 麻豆原创 Pinnacle Award finalist in the New App of the Year on 麻豆原创 Store category. It鈥檚 available for download on . Or download the 麻豆原创 and Forter .

Rajiv Nema is senior director of 麻豆原创 Store Partner Solutions.

鈥淥ur AR platform gives consumers and companies personalized virtual shopping and training experiences, expanding the horizon of what AR can do for any brand or company,鈥� said Kanav Singla, founder and CEO of Adloid. 鈥淲e鈥檙e making the benefits of this technology more accessible and contextual to create an immersive experience for customers or employees on an e-commerce Website or within applications, directly from someone鈥檚 mobile device.鈥�

Convenient 鈥楾ry Before You Buy鈥� Shopping

Unlike earlier AR tech that relied on clunky headsets with varied compatibility, Adloid鈥檚 AR platform runs on any smartphone, allowing customers to experience products at scale, in context. Once the online shopper logs in through their phone, the device鈥檚 camera scans their real-world surroundings and virtually mirrors the retailer鈥檚 or manufacturer鈥檚 product.

鈥淧eople can see how a new sofa or chair would fit into their home or apartment with a click of their smartphone,鈥� said Singla. 鈥淐onsumers can virtually try on jewelry, makeup, and other products. Remote workers can see if that laptop, screen, and desk configuration will fit in their home office. It鈥檚 as if the actual products are in front of you.鈥�

He added that manufacturers were interested in using the AR platform within training modules for industrial machinery service technicians, providing them with hands-on learning in a virtual setting.

Immersive Product Discovery Experience

On the consumer side, AR technology is tailor-made for online shoppers who can鈥檛 get enough information about products they might purchase.

鈥淔or someone trying to decide between different car models, AR lets them virtually go inside the trunk to see how much space is in there,鈥� said Singla. 鈥淭hey can open and close the sunroof or try out the controls on the entertainment console, experiencing various car options before going to the showroom.鈥�

Automotive manufacturers are among the startup鈥檚 biggest customers, along with e-commerce platforms of all sizes, retailers with or without brick-and-mortar stores, and manufacturers located in the U.S., Germany, and India.

Augmented Reality Increases Sales

Some customers using Adloid have increased sales conversions from online channels up to 200%. One online retailer tripled the number of online customers who purchased consumer items after using the tool. AR also boosts customer engagement time viewing product images and videos from an average of 30 seconds to a whopping eight minutes.

鈥淚nstead of being limited by a finite number of pre-posted images or videos, AR allows people to interact longer with products in a more personalized way, creating a powerful sales channel that鈥檚 always on at the customer鈥檚 convenience,鈥� said Singla. 鈥淧eople can better understand how a product would fit into their lives, in many cases motivating them to make a purchase decision during that single online session.鈥�

Connected Data for Intelligent Enterprise

Adloid securely anonymizes all customer data and doesn鈥檛 store any personal images or other information once someone ends their AR session. However, organizations can extract valuable insights from the tool鈥檚 analytics.

鈥淎 car might come in six colors, but which ones are customers viewing the most? Companies can see what options people are most interested in, then connect back to inventory management to make sure they can meet market demands,鈥� said Singla.

Indeed, one of Adloid鈥檚 biggest strengths is working with the 麻豆原创 Startup Studio for India, startup accelerator program. Singla said that his team gained validation for product iterations, along with access to 麻豆原创 solutions, including , and the company鈥檚 enterprise customers.

鈥淲orking with a global leader like 麻豆原创 gives our product immediate credibility because we learned what customers were looking for,鈥� he said. 鈥淎dloid is integrated with , , and , helping companies connect data to become intelligent enterprises.

AR Bridges Gap Between E-Commerce and CX

Singla鈥檚 entrepreneurial spirit was initially sparked by his family, all of whom own businesses. He founded his first startup at age 21 during his undergraduate studies in engineering, then saw a major selling gap as e-commerce took off.

鈥淐ompanies went online with their catalogs, but customers couldn鈥檛 more fully experience these products,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 launched Adloid to turn e-commerce into 3D commerce where customers can try out products virtually on their mobile device. We expect AR will provide immersive experiences in more consumer and B2B online sites including fashion, travel and tourism, and large industrial machinery.鈥�

Follow me @smgaler.

During a recent online event, Distribution Strategy Group鈥檚 Founder and Senior Partner Ian Heller exposed five major sources of disruption for this vital industry:

1. Workforce: The youngest generations (Generation Y and Generation Z) now make up approximately 70% of the total workforce. These generations are the most technically affluent, which means they expect to be connected on any device, anytime, anywhere, with easy-to-use applications.
2. E-Commerce: E-commerce is no longer just about having a slick website. Today, distributors must have a strong technology foundation to deliver an easy-to-use, personalized, B2C-like purchasing experience for customers.
3. Cybersecurity: The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined cybersecurity as a prevalent concern as new vulnerabilities arose due to employees working from home. Phishing and ransomware attacks have virtually exploded across every industry in the past few years.
4. Cloud: To stay competitive, many distributors are moving their technology stack to the cloud to lower capital expenditures and enjoy a better margin advantage.
5. Marketplaces: B2B buyers are turning to marketplaces for a one-stop shopping experience. Distributors that can successfully adopt a marketplace model will stand to deepen customer relationships and drive growth.

Heller shared that as an industry, distributors are still working out solutions to these challenges as they continue to adjust to the ever-evolving market challenges. Digital transformation continues to be an enabler of business models, allowing distributors to go from reactive, reporting on things that are happening, to proactive, anticipating the future and mitigating risks.

Magnus Meier, vice president and global head of the Wholesale Distribution Business Unit at 麻豆原创, went on to share that high-tech distributors have started to market themselves as solution aggregators to underline how committed they are to long-term customer relationships, taking care of the product and customer life cycle. In addition, digital transformation continues to play a significant role during the pandemic, specifically in operations. 鈥淒istributors that have a modern ERP system have data on hand, which gives them a significant advantage over their competitors,鈥� says Meier.

Using Services as a Differentiator

For distributors to successfully implement everything from business strategy to operations to customer experience, they first need to determine what is most important to their business. Competitive differentiators come in all shapes and sizes for wholesale distributors, be it a great service like replenishment of bins near the production line, dedicated jobs like delivery of materials, on-site safety training, or even simply having the most responsive, proactive salespeople. Aligning business priorities with competitive differentiators allows distributors to position their business model as not just indispensable to customers, but profitable.

The big players, by and large, are not great at services. Services almost always represent the introduction of variable costs into a business model. Traditionally, distributors have rolled the costs of services into the gross margin of products, but they have not monetized them or charged the cost back to customers. 鈥淚f distributors put a general manager in charge of services, one must treat it the way that a manufacturer treats new product development. Figure out how to monetize it with a P&L to build a business that’s much different and adds value for their customers,鈥� says Heller.

The technology that enables distributors to have the right level of visibility into their business starts with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which is critical to transformation. Having the right processing system enables order-to-cash (O2C) and procure-to-pay (P2P) business processes, which are critical to operations. For many distributors, more than 50% of orders come through as e-mailed PDF or Excel files, creating a manual process for customer sales representatives to then enter the orders into proprietary systems.

Counterintuitive to what distributors assume, the number of manual orders received is increasing, not decreasing. To enable efficiency and resiliency, distributors must find a way to automate manual and redundant tasks and redirect that energy towards value-added efforts. 鈥淐onexiom can help process those orders with the same customer service expectations that a buyer experiences when placing an e-commerce order, a marketplace order, or any other type of digital order,鈥� says Erik Severinghaus, executive vice president of Business Development at Conexiom.

Preempting Issues within the Supply Chain

Whether it鈥檚 due to trade agreements, politics, or biological threats like pandemics, these is less predictability in the supply chain. A good example is what happened at the Suez Canal. The only way distributors can anticipate these issues is to have complete transparency and visibility across the supply chain, all the way through to the demand side. They need to leverage technology to gain the transparency to track which boxes are in which containers and on which ships. And if one of those ships goes astray, they need to be able to understand the implications and trigger follow-up processes to minimize disruption.

鈥淒istributors are operating at greater scale than ever before and it is essential that distributors overcome silos, talk to sellers to overcome those challenges, understand how their customers will be affected, and take mitigating action,鈥� says Meier.

Navigating the Talent Shortage

Every business is grappling with the talent shortage today. To attract the right talent, distributors need to invest in modern technology to bolster employee experience in the workplace. Distributors need to leverage intelligent technologies to automate routine tasks so employees can focus on more complex customer requirements. They need to provide collaboration tools between different teams to drive ongoing business alignment, openness for change, business agility, and improved collaboration between sales, marketing, and demand-planning teams. The distribution industry as a whole must challenge the way it has traditionally handled work-from-home policies, salaries, long-term incentives, and other benefits to make employees want to stay in this lesser-known B2B industry. 鈥淒istributors need to offer a competitive workplace environment, not just against other distributors, but against other industries,鈥� says Severinghaus.

Meier, Severinghaus, and Heller have a lot of commendable and proven advice on these topics. In this , these speakers discuss the challenges facing distributors today and provide tangible guidance on how to prepare and respond to market disruptions.

Sam Nohava is global industry marketing lead at 麻豆原创.

Revlon, which last year saw e-commerce net sales soar approximately 40%, remains focused on enhancing its end-to-end digital capabilities to support continued acceleration in this channel. By tapping RISE with 麻豆原创 on an AWS infrastructure, Revlon expects to bolster its become more nimble and innovative. Revlon also plans to use the 麻豆原创 Analytics Cloud solution to incorporate predictive analytics across its business processes.

鈥淩ISE with 麻豆原创 provides Revlon with numerous opportunities to support our continued digital acceleration through modernizing our core back-office infrastructure and applications while reducing our total cost of ownership,鈥� said Revlon Chief Information Officer Jose Urquijo. 鈥淎dditionally, RISE with 麻豆原创 will enable increased flexibility and agility in support of our Revlon Global Growth Accelerator program, which we announced with our Q1 2021 earnings.鈥�

鈥淩evlon is an iconic and trusted brand that has long been known for innovation in the beauty and personal care industry, always with a keen focus on the customer experience,鈥� said 麻豆原创 North America President DJ Paoni. 鈥淲e are honored to be a part of Revlon鈥檚 incredible transformation journey and provide solutions to help the company continue to scale and grow share of market.鈥�

Visit the . Follow 麻豆原创 on Twitter at .

Media Contact:
Justin Wolz, +1 (919) 306-7084, j.wolz@sap.com, ET
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Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 鈥渁nticipate,鈥� 鈥渂elieve,鈥� 鈥渆stimate,鈥� 鈥渆xpect,鈥� 鈥渇orecast,鈥� 鈥渋ntend,鈥� 鈥渕ay,鈥� 鈥減lan,鈥� 鈥減roject,鈥� 鈥減redict,鈥� 鈥渟hould鈥� and 鈥渨ill鈥� and similar expressions as they relate to 麻豆原创 are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. 麻豆原创 undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect 麻豆原创’s future financial results are discussed more fully in 麻豆原创’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including 麻豆原创’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
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麻豆原创 is sponsoring a research project regarding the state of e-commerce and marketplaces to understand how these market trends are evolving for the distribution industry online.

This research will provide 麻豆原创 and partner Mirakl the opportunity to gain further insights into wholesale distribution trends and expose opportunities for improvement from an industry perspective.

Market Trends Impacting Commerce for Distributors

To understand the current state of commerce, we must analyze the market conditions that are having a ripple effect in the industry and creating challenges for wholesale distributors.

First, competition is driving distributors to find new revenue sources, such as value-added services. Some examples provided to customers include light manufacturing, kitting, product training, and product management.

Customers are looking to distributors to collaborate and provide complete solutions for specific business needs, such as providing materials for every phase of a stadium renovation.聽 Meanwhile, customers are also looking for distributors to carry a wider range of products with more flexible delivery options.

To add value to the business and meet growing customer expectations, new talent is looking for roles where they can make a positive impact and leverage new technologies.

Lastly, the requirement for business resilience in the face of health, environmental, and trade challenges has moved from addressing tactical issues of continuity towards strategic decisions driving overall longevity.

Why Participate in the State of E-Commerce Research?

The research initiative provides wholesale distributors the ability to share insights related to their company鈥檚 e-commerce and marketplace ambitions in a confidential way.

Within the survey, MDM asks distributors to report on each organization鈥檚 current commerce landscape, including key capabilities or customer needs that they are looking to support in the coming years.

Example questions include:

• What is your greatest concern or reservation about the value, effectiveness, or risks of e-commerce within your organization?
• What initiatives are you undertaking to broaden and deepen your catalog?
• Have you considered launching or operating an online marketplace, where third-party sellers provide the stock and fulfill orders?

Any wholesale distributor employee who is located within the United States or Canada can participate in this survey. As a thank you for your participation, you will be entered to win a $250 gift card. This brief survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.

To impact the future of wholesale distribution commerce, please take the today!

John McDonnell is industry advisor for Wholesale Distribution at 麻豆原创.

This spiked a need for a new kind of commerce solution, one that equips midmarket companies with all the necessary tools to sell fast and easy, apply changes quickly, and offer intelligent merchandising capabilities that were previously only accessible to large enterprises.

enables this by offering an intelligent selling engine that delivers engaging storefronts while optimizing for sales and profit, with the ability to more rapidly create mobile-first shopping experiences to meet the changing expectations of their customers. Businesses can take full control of the customer journey, drive world-class omnichannel customer experiences, and create a competitive edge by choosing to start with easily configurable building blocks or create completely custom commerce experiences.

The solution enables brands to:

• Sell anywhere — make the store the destination: 麻豆原创 Upscale Commerce delivers rich mobile-first, cross-channel, in-store experience for shoppers and makes it easy for shoppers to intuitively shop by swiping, pinching, and tapping their devices.
• Sell intelligently — big or small, sell smart: With built-in artificial intelligence (AI), brands can create a unique storefront experience for each shopper at scale and deliver intelligent, relevant experiences that optimize business profits. Intelligent capabilities also help to convert one-time purchases into subscriptions.
• Speed and agility — start fast and go far: Brands can start small and scale as they grow using no code tools out of the box to create new and fresh shopping experiences in days and using low- and no-code tools to easily extend and build the perfect fit solution.
• Keep the promise — deliver on the brand promise: Brands can sell and ship from everywhere with an agile order orchestration and fulfill orders from the closest stores.

Transitioning Customer Engagement from In Store to Online

One organization that experienced these changes firsthand is Swedish fashion retailer . JOY, which for many years has delighted Swedish women with quality clothes, has re-emerged in a completely new form. JOY no longer has any physical stores and is instead focusing on e-commerce and personalized fashion advice. The founders see JOY as a startup building next-generation e-commerce based on AI and slow fashion 鈥� a more sustainable alternative with clothes lasting several seasons. JOY is also the first company in the world that has selected the combination of the cloud-based solutions 麻豆原创 Upscale Commerce and the Emarsys platform for customer engagement functionality.

鈥淲e are definitely in a paradigm shift within e-commerce and digital channels. The retail industry has so far been able to make a living from using large product catalogs, but they do not provide the best customer experience. Instead, customers want inspiration, advice, and, in our case, also ready-made combinations of clothes that suit their own style 鈥� and lasting several seasons,鈥� said Anna Ullman Sers茅, CEO and co-founder of JOY. 鈥溌槎乖� Upscale Commerce fit our needs perfectly. The solution is very flexible, allowing us to make changes quickly and to provide more content than just a traditional product catalog. This frees up more time for us to truly focus on engaging with the customers online, much like we did when we would meet in stores.鈥�

Powering Social Selling with Top Social Media Platforms

Another option for brands pivoting to direct customer engagement is selling through social media channels, more commonly known as 鈥渟ocial selling.鈥� With careful and considered targeting of the right products at the right time, it is possible for midmarket brands to drive down the cost of customer acquisition as products find customers directly through algorithmic targeting. However, this means that having the right type of information about products and the right content in posts is critical 鈥� as is for that information to be up to date.

To deliver on this opportunity, 麻豆原创 Upscale Commerce integrates into social media platforms, enabling organizations to easily start taking advantage of social commerce. The solution makes it easy to connect an online store to a Facebook business account, continuously sync the product catalog, create a Facebook Shop, and use that to drive new sales opportunities to consumers. The result is a consistent shopping experience on social media, with the front-end and back-end business processes fully integrated.

Hackathon Spurs New Ideas to Solve Customer Pain Points

To meet individual customer challenges, the 麻豆原创 Customer Experience team in Canada recently hosted a hackathon, in which teams of product experts and solution integration partners battled to create brand new online shopping experiences based on specific, real-world client requirements for fashion, automotive, and retail 鈥� all within 麻豆原创 Upscale Commerce.

Judging criteria was based on overall creativity, use of available product extensions, ease of shopping experience, time-to-market, and how well the solution drives customers toward long-term loyalty and advocacy for the brand. After a day and a half of competition, the event culminated in a final virtual pitch presentation, with taking home the award for Most Creative, and awarded for Best Use of Technology.

鈥淎s a judge, I was truly impressed with the quality and quantity of results after only a day and a half of hacking, showcasing incredible innovation, creativity, and accomplishment by small teams in a small amount of time,鈥� said Fr茅d茅ric Bouthillier, CEO of . 鈥淭he teams鈥� rapid development of new, innovative experiences proves the time to value of 麻豆原创 Upscale Commerce and headless commerce solutions.鈥�

The events of the past year have changed the way people shop and the shift to online purchasing is here to stay. Now midmarket brands don鈥檛 have to settle with a simple direct-to-consumer webstore. With 麻豆原创 Upscale Commerce, businesses have the ability to put the customer at the heart of everything they do, connecting front- and back-office data, simplifying and automating complex sales processes, and delivering insights in real time that enable seamless, personalized experiences that grow revenue.

The 麻豆原创 Upscale Commerce solution, , is the next-generation intelligent selling engine that can help midmarket brands to achieve fast growth, create differentiated experiences, and leverage intelligence to optimize sales and profits.

Bob Stutz is president of 麻豆原创 Customer Experience.

鈥淲hen a celebrity wears our product, it certainly creates a buzz around the company,鈥� said Carhartt CIO John Hill. 鈥淚t raises brand awareness and exposes products that some consumers may not be aware of.鈥�

Behind the scenes, technology transformation became crucial for Carhartt to keep up with fast-paced growth. So, after more than 130 years in business and continued growth in popularity, it became imperative for U.S.-based company to transform both its apparel offerings and its business foundation.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to realize that Carhartt was as far away from a virtual company as you could be,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淲e quickly realized that not only did we need to transform our technology, but also the processes that the technology was enabling. We identified hundreds of pain points that existed across that value chain. And if we can get rid of those pain points with 麻豆原创 technology, ultimately we were going to provide a better experience for our associates and our customers.鈥�

After thoroughly researching different options, Carhartt realized tapping the power of 麻豆原创’s intelligent enterprise was the best solution. Yet this hugely innovative upgrade coincided with one of the biggest challenges of our time; believe it or not, Carhartt went live during the worst of the pandemic.

Closing Shop Was Never an Option

It was a top priority for Carhartt to remain open and provide a frictionless shopping experience for customers, ensuring there was no downtime and no negative impacts on business. 鈥淎t the end of the day, the brand needs to be able to react to the demands of those customers. Ultimately the customer doesn’t care what it takes to deliver,鈥� said Hill.

With his office closed, Hill鈥檚 technology team prepared to go live while they worked from their homes.

鈥淵ou can’t underestimate the challenge of doing a large scale of digital transformation, while you’re growing the business at the pace we are, and still serving customers,鈥� said Hill.

Yet, he shares that bringing 麻豆原创 technology online proved easy.

鈥淔rankly, the harder thing in dealing with a pandemic has been there’s no blueprint of how to plan,鈥� Hill shared. 鈥淲e were taking down our revenue on a weekly basis, and then increasing it the next week. So it was a very difficult year from that perspective. The actual technology transformation felt like a more normal course of business during the year.鈥�

Strained Supply Chains

Businesses across the planet share Carhartt鈥檚 forecasting challenges.

鈥淧eople know what they want and they want it when they want it,鈥� said President of 麻豆原创 North America DJ Paoni. 鈥淎nd they know how they want it. Every customer in every industry has acknowledged that COVID-19 has put the maturing of the global economy on fast-forward. So those companies that have a more sophisticated digital technology are certainly able to pivot faster and connect with their customers on a whole new level.鈥�

Carhartt believes further investment in digital technologies is a winning strategy that will also provide a fantastic experience for customers.

鈥淪o far, we implemented 麻豆原创 solutions to support our retail businesses,鈥� said Hill. 鈥淭his year, we will be implementing solutions to support our wholesale and our direct-to-consumer e-commerce business. I believe that the marketplace has continued to reward those customers that deliver not only a great product, but also a digitally native experience.鈥�

Meet Carhartt CIO John Hill and hear the advice
he shares with his peers on .

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2020 was the Year of the Metal Rat. While open to all manners of interpretation, such a year is considered to be one of renewal and a chance “to turn unfortunate events into fortunate ones.” That could certainly apply to the world of retail.

No other sector was disrupted as much in 2020 as supply and demand see-sawed with each new surge of the pandemic. Lockdowns and social distancing severely restricted in-store shopping and led to a sharp increase in online retail, forcing retailers to reexamine their digital readiness and supply chain efficiency. At the same time, consumers have become more vocal about their expectations than ever before, placing increasing importance on sustainability, convenience, and experiences.

As a result, the sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Now, the question for retailers is 鈥楬ow do we proceed?鈥�

The Influential Shopper

During a sponsored by 麻豆原创 at the National Retail Federation鈥檚 virtual , Melanie Noronha, a senior editor at the , discussed ways retailers can prepare for an uncertain year ahead with Nuno Pedro from 麻豆原创鈥檚 Customer Experience team and Rob Wood, head of Online at , a leading UK toy store.

Based on a September 2020 survey of over 4,000 consumers that captured spending levels and habits in the U.S., Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain, Noronha鈥檚 team was able to uncover trends by generational cohort. In a study titled 鈥�,鈥� the team reports that although overall monthly retail expenditure in the countries surveyed declined by 9% from January-March to June-August, online spending increased by 15% on average.

Because online buying behavior varies by generation, from Baby Boomers to Generation Z, Noronha鈥檚 advice to retailers is to develop a deep understanding of the generational differences within their customer base. Millennials, for example, dominate online spending. In the period of June to August, they reported online spending 2.5, 1.5, and 1.3 times as much as Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Z, respectively. In the same period, Millennial respondents also reported that 53% of their total purchases were made online.

Understanding what Millennials and Generation Z are passionate about is critical; not only are they the most loyal customer base, but the future of business depends on them. 鈥�,鈥� for example, is a rapidly growing consumer group that makes decisions based upon values and principles. They won鈥檛 buy from, work for, or trust a company unless it is taking action on the issues they care about.

After Millennials, Baby Boomers demonstrated the biggest shift online since the start of the pandemic, increasing their online spending as a share of their total spending from 25% to 37%, followed by Generation X, who increased their share of online spending from 39% to 47%. During the pandemic, online shopping for essential products, such as groceries and cleaning supplies, has become more deeply entrenched, with average monthly expenditure increasing by 78% and 49%, respectively, for the two categories.

But with average monthly spending declining overall by 9% and unemployment soaring in many parts of the world, the report also makes it clear that consumers of all ages are hunkering down for an extended period of uncertainty. Across the five countries surveyed, a quarter of survey respondents do not believe that the economy will recover once the pandemic is under control, and younger cohorts are significantly more pessimistic.

The Opportunity

The shift to online shopping, especially among older generations, presents a unique opportunity for brands and retailers to engage new online customers in ways they never could before. According to Noronha鈥檚 team, understanding these trends is vital to crafting strategies for short-term resilience, medium-term recovery, and long-term growth.

As brands expand their digital presence in response to increased customer familiarity with online shopping, they will need to remain agile to respond effectively to evolving consumer habits, enhance the customer experience to stay competitive, and employ personalized engagement strategies 鈥� including digital marketing 鈥� 聽to retain customers online.

was one company that was able to ride the ups and downs of the pandemic last year by remaining agile. The toy store鈥檚 vision is to fill every childhood with wonder; its mission is to be the best-loved toyshop, one child and one community at a time. The company runs its click and collect business on 麻豆原创 Commerce Cloud, and its intention is to offer the same level of service anywhere, in store or online.

鈥�2020 was a topsy-turvy year,鈥� says Wood, who is responsible for determining online demand and keeping up with fulfillment. 鈥淲e had seven times the uplift in the first two weeks of lockdown. Our forecasts were wrong all the time. The only way we managed to weather the storm was by remaining agile and flexible.鈥�

Wood says the company decided not to put all its eggs in one basket and to introduce flexible pay options. Another step was to equip staff with iPads to check product availability from the shop floor during those times when children come into a store in person, eager to spend their pocket money. This type of service reflects the company鈥檚 goal of creating fond memories and delivering outstanding service, whether in a real or a virtual world. After all, today鈥檚 eight-year-olds will be tomorrow鈥檚 influential shoppers.

The Experience

The pandemic has clearly helped online spending expand its share of individual wallets. More effective online selling could offer a shorter, smoother path to recovery for companies, but only for those that succeed in giving customers a seamless experience that keeps them coming back for more, regardless of their age. This builds on consumers’ preferences for shopping experiences that are convenient, so that they can shop from anywhere, save time, and find the best deals.

2021 is the Year of The Metal Ox, considered a favorable time for economic recovery or consolidation after a catastrophic event. It鈥檚 a year for long-term investments, a year when problems are solved with hard work, diligence, and discipline.

That makes this year the perfect time for retailers to garner deep insight into the effect of the pandemic on retail spending and shifts in consumers’ online shopping behaviors. Experts like Noronha conclude that those retailers that take time now to understand how online buying behavior varies by generation are likely to be the ones that will come out ahead.

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J.C. Penney is the most recent casualty among retail giants, joining Neiman Marcus, Macy鈥檚, and others in filing for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, April retail sales in the U.S. compared with 2019.

Stores in some parts of the U.S. are reopening, but not fully. The number of customers allowed inside stores may be limited, and many people will continue to stay away from non-essential businesses.

To survive the financial fallout, retailers need new ways to stay close to customers virtually.

Here, two startup founders and an 麻豆原创 expert describe how technology can help retailers survive and recover — all while keeping their brands and customer followings intact.

Augmented Reality Brings the Store to Your Home

Co-Founder and CEO Ashley Crowder thinks that 3D and augmented reality (AR) solutions like the ones developed by her company can increase conversion rates for online shopping.

鈥淰ntana makes it easy to take existing manufacturing design files and immediately create 3D and AR experiences proven to more than double conversion rates and reduce returns by 40 percent,鈥� she said.

Vntana works with customers like Shah Jewelry to create virtual versions of products that let customers “try on” items at home. Even before the pandemic, Vntana saw increased conversion from browsers to buyers among companies that provide 3D experiences for customers. For example, Crowder says Ikea experienced a 30 percent increase in revenue when consumers could virtually place products within their home.

Crowder believes AR and virtual reality (VR) technology is here to stay: 鈥�, an AR and VR research publication, did a that said 45 percent of consumers want to try AR/VR shopping. Thirty percent said if that can provide good enough information to make a decision to buy, they would never want to go into a retail store again. So people want this content and they want this option.鈥�

She expects adoption to accelerate because of the coronavirus crisis and points out that the companies that move quickly now will be better positioned for survival and future growth.

Hyperlocal E-Commerce Boosts Bricks and Mortar Retail

Sandeep Bhanote co-founded , a startup that improves shoppers鈥� e-commerce interactions by providing hyperlocal, personalized experiences. Like Crowder, Bhanote is a participant in the accelerator program in New York, which currently supports a cohort of customer experience-focused companies.

Radius8 solves this challenge. E-commerce looks the same no matter where consumers are located, which can result in subpar experiences for online shoppers, particularly if the retailer has many stores across the country.

鈥淥ur technology takes the consumer location and determines their proximity to any one of those stores within that retail chain and dynamically changes the e-commerce experience to reflect where they are,鈥� Bhanote explained.

Bhanote believes that uniting the digital and physical store experience will propel retail to the next level.

Using geospatial data, Radius8 gives consumers a better online experience while also boosting in-store sales by driving people to specific store locations. Bhanote explains that the focal point for integration between virtual and physical stores has been limited to understanding inventory.

鈥淏ut the reality is all these physical stores have all these wonderful things that are happening that almost never get communicated digitally — not even within the radius of that physical store,鈥� he said.

Bhanote said customers — including adidas, Lucky Brand, Snipes USA, Orvis, and Eddie Bauer — already use Radius8 to create great experiences across virtual and physical sites.

Intelligent Enterprise Delivers Unique Experiences and Agility

Matt Laukaitis, executive vice president and global general manager for Consumer Industries at 麻豆原创, believes that maintaining customer intimacy is paramount for retailers.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the ability to continue reinforcing that connection with consumers,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing a lot of innovation from brands large and small, where people are doing creative things with virtual personal stylists and individual video-shopping sessions to give customers a unique experience.鈥�

Whether it鈥檚 an online or traditional brick-and-mortar experience, the winners of the future will maintain brand consistency while increasing customer relevance and loyalty. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to enable them to successfully execute as they reopen stores,鈥� Laukaitis said.

Retailers鈥� agility to respond to the pandemic will make or break them. 鈥淭he companies that will be able to best navigate the crisis are the ones that can be creative and agile operating in the current environment,鈥� he said.

Companies that have already embraced digital transformation and invested in an intelligent enterprise infrastructure will have a leg up on competitors. They have the speed, simplicity, and flexibility required to adapt business models while delivering on consumers expectations.

One thing is for sure: E-commerce is growing quickly. The recent U.S. revenue growth rate for e-commerce was .聽 And the crisis has sped up people鈥檚 need for better digital experiences.

Newer technologies like AR and geospatial, combined with a strong digital core and traditional customer experience technologies, will allow retailers to pivot fast and keep customers.

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