In today’s retail landscape, the lines between physical and digital commerce have all but disappeared. Customers expect seamless, personalized experiences—whether they’re browsing online, picking up in-store, or engaging with a brand on social media. For retailers, the challenge is no longer just about being present in every channel, but about truly unifying those channels into a single, profitable, and efficient commerce ecosystem. This is the promise of unified commerce.
While omnichannel strategies have helped retailers expand their reach, many still struggle to make these investments profitable. Siloed operations, fragmented data, and inconsistent customer experiences often lead to operational inefficiencies and missed revenue opportunities. Unified commerce takes the next step: integrating all customer touchpoints, data, and operations into a single, orchestrated platform that drives both top-line growth and bottom-line efficiency.
Recent years have seen seismic shifts in consumer behavior, technology, and business models. The pandemic accelerated digital adoption, but also exposed the limitations of disconnected systems. Today, over 80% of transactional journeys may start online, but the majority still finish in-store. Customers don’t think in terms of channels—they expect brands to recognize them and serve them consistently, wherever they are. Retailers who can deliver on this expectation are seeing measurable gains in customer satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability.
Unified commerce requires a robust, flexible technology foundation. Leading retailers are consolidating legacy systems and investing in modern, cloud-based platforms that connect e-commerce, point-of-sale, order management, and customer service. This integration enables real-time inventory visibility, seamless fulfillment options (like click-and-collect or ship-from-store), and a single view of the customer across all touchpoints.
For example, one global retailer rebuilt its digital and back-end operations, integrating supply chain, customer service, and e-commerce into a single platform. This allowed for rapid deployment of new features—such as virtual queuing, endless aisle, and curbside pickup—across multiple markets, driving both agility and consistency.
Unified commerce is powered by data. By breaking down silos and centralizing customer, product, and operational data, retailers can unlock powerful insights. Predictive analytics inform everything from personalized marketing to demand forecasting and workforce planning. The result is a more responsive, customer-centric business that can test, learn, and scale new ideas quickly.
Retailers who have embraced a test-and-learn culture—using statistically valid experiments rather than relying on the “highest paid person’s opinion”—are able to rapidly iterate and deploy winning features globally. This data-driven approach not only improves customer experience but also ensures that investments are focused on initiatives that drive measurable value.
Technology alone is not enough. True unification requires organizational change. Retailers are rethinking their structures, incentives, and KPIs to align teams around shared goals—such as customer lifetime value, operational efficiency, and profitable growth. This often means merging digital, IT, data, and business functions into cross-functional teams that own the end-to-end customer journey.
Cultural transformation is key. Retailers who have successfully unified their operations report that bringing together store, digital, and supply chain teams fosters innovation and accelerates change. Employees are empowered to focus on delivering value, not just managing costs, and are encouraged to experiment, learn, and adapt quickly.
The business case for unified commerce is compelling. Retailers who have made the leap report:
At Publicis Sapient, we help retailers move beyond omnichannel to true unified commerce. Our SPEED framework—Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data—ensures that every transformation is grounded in business value, customer insight, and operational excellence. We partner with clients to:
Our work with leading global retailers demonstrates that unified commerce is not just a vision—it’s an achievable, profitable reality. By integrating physical and digital retail, retailers can unlock new growth, drive efficiency, and deliver the experiences today’s customers demand.
The future of retail belongs to those who can seamlessly connect every part of their business—technology, data, people, and processes—around the customer. Unified commerce is the path to sustainable profitability and competitive advantage. Are you ready to take the next step?
Contact Publicis Sapient to learn how we can help you accelerate your unified commerce journey.