NRF: Most retailers plan unified commerce platforms

Washington, D.C. – It may take a while, but most retailers ultimately plan to implement a unified commerce platform. According to a new study of 300 U.S., European and Australian retail business and IT executives conducted by the National Retail Federation, Ecommerce Europe and Ecommerce Foundation in partnership with Demandware, 53% expect to implement a unified commerce platform in the next few years. And during the next 10 years, 86% of retailers surveyed plan to implement a unified commerce platform.



Retailers surveyed anticipate margins, brand value and revenue will improve by unifying their point-of-sale, ecommerce and other consumer-facing platforms. Specifically, the survey found that: more than half (52%) foresee significant improvement to controllable items that directly impact margin, including inventory turn and returns. Nearly half (46%) expect to see increases in brand value, specifically significant improvements due to positive impact on total customer value and their Net Promoter Score. Nearly four-in-10 (38%) believe significant improvements will occur in average order value, promotional redemption and conversion rates.



Furthermore, retailers surveyed expect that consolidating historically disparate technologies, including POS, e-commerce, call center and mobile, into a single commerce platform would drive improvements in IT innovation and efficiency. Specifically, two in five (45%) retailers surveyed anticipate significant improvement in their ability to meet business demands faster, and another 35% say they foresee IT efficiency improvements including data security, maintenance costs and infrastructure.



Seven-in-10 (72%) retailers are currently planning the transformation to a single commerce platform, whether conducting initial research or already starting to develop the business. Thirteen percent identified themselves as in the exploration phase or as gathering information and monitoring single platform trends, while 23% are actively discussing the viability of a unified commerce platform but have no formal plan in place yet. More than one-third (36%) noted that they are developing a formal plan and seeking budget options, and the remaining 22% described themselves as already in the execution or realization phases.