Omnichannel Retail Transformation: How GCCs Enable Seamless Digital and Physical Experiences

In today’s retail landscape, the line between digital and physical shopping is rapidly disappearing. Consumers expect to move effortlessly between online and offline channels—browsing on their phones, picking up in store, enjoying curbside pickup, and receiving personalized offers wherever they shop. For retailers, delivering these seamless omnichannel experiences is both a challenge and an opportunity. At the heart of this transformation are Global Capability Centers (GCCs), and Publicis Sapient is leading the way in helping retailers bridge the gap between digital and physical commerce.

The New Role of GCCs in Retail

Once seen as cost-saving back offices, GCCs—especially those in India—are now strategic engines of innovation, agility, and growth. With over 1,700 centers and a workforce of nearly two million, India’s GCC ecosystem is the world’s largest and most dynamic. Publicis Sapient’s GCCs are at the forefront, helping retailers modernize platforms, integrate microservices, and harness AI to deliver unified commerce and personalized customer journeys at scale.

Bridging Online and Offline: Unified Commerce in Action

Retailers face the urgent need to unify their digital and physical channels. Publicis Sapient’s GCCs have enabled:

• Platform Modernization: By re-architecting legacy commerce systems into microservices-based, cloud-native platforms, retailers can now offer consistent experiences across web, mobile, and in-store. For example, a leading global retailer partnered with Publicis Sapient to transition from monolithic systems to an enterprise API and microservices architecture. This shift enabled rapid innovation, improved scalability, and seamless integration of new features like BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In Store) and curbside pickup.
• Omnichannel Fulfillment: GCC teams have delivered solutions that connect inventory, order management, and fulfillment across all channels. For a major sports retailer, Publicis Sapient implemented a cloud-based commerce platform and a re-architected order management system, enabling BOPIS and streamlining inventory processes. The result: orders processed 170% faster during peak periods, with no downtime.
• Curbside and BOPIS at Scale: In response to changing consumer preferences, Publicis Sapient helped a top European grocer evaluate and implement curbside pickup. Through market research, iterative technology deployment, and micro-fulfillment center integration, the grocer achieved a projected $5.3B revenue increase and a 30% reduction in labor costs by 2024.

Data-Driven Personalization and AI-Powered Journeys

Modern retail is powered by data. GCCs are now centers of excellence for data science, AI, and customer insight:

• AI-Driven Personalization: Publicis Sapient’s GCCs have enabled retailers to deliver hyper-personalized offers, content, and experiences. By integrating advanced analytics and AI, retailers can segment customers in real time, tailor promotions, and optimize loyalty programs. For example, a global home improvement retailer leveraged GCC expertise to integrate generative AI into product content creation and conversational search, enhancing both customer engagement and operational efficiency.
• Unified Customer Data Platforms: GCCs have built and integrated customer data platforms (CDPs) that unify data from online and offline sources, enabling real-time segmentation and targeted marketing. This has allowed retailers to unlock new revenue streams, such as retail media networks, and deliver consistent, personalized experiences across every touchpoint.

Engineering Excellence: Microservices and Cloud Integration

Publicis Sapient’s engineering leadership is a key differentiator. GCCs in India have:

• Re-architected Commerce Platforms: Moving from legacy, on-premises systems to cloud-native, headless architectures has given retailers the agility to innovate quickly. For a large retailer, migrating to Google Cloud Platform and adopting a headless commerce approach resulted in a 35% improvement in site performance, a 50% reduction in development costs, and a $30M lift in holiday sales.
• Enabled Rapid Experimentation: With microservices and API-first design, retailers can launch new features—such as mobile scan-and-go, dynamic pricing, or new fulfillment options—without disrupting core operations. This agility is critical for responding to market shifts and consumer trends.

Real-World Impact: Client Success Stories

• Global Grocery Retailer: Over a decade-long partnership, Publicis Sapient’s GCCs helped a top global grocer scale its online grocery platform internationally, optimize supply chain operations, and introduce innovations like algorithmic van scheduling and in-store picking optimization. The results: 42 million transactions per week, 1 million orders per day, and a 35% improvement in order picking rates.
• Mall Operator and Marketplace: For a leading retail estate trust, Publicis Sapient created a digital marketplace platform that seamlessly integrates online and offline shopping. Customers can shop across channels with a single basket, check in-store pricing, and receive personalized content—driving both online sales and in-store footfall.
• Sports Retailer: By modernizing the commerce platform and order management system, Publicis Sapient enabled BOPIS and improved system integration, resulting in faster order processing and a more resilient, scalable infrastructure.

The Publicis Sapient Approach: SPEED and the Establish–Scale–Acquire Model

Our transformation model is anchored in SPEED—Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data & AI. We support retailers at every stage:

• Establish: Set up AI-first, culturally aligned GCCs as seamless business extensions.
• Scale: Evolve GCCs into innovation-driven hubs through capability building and continuous improvement.
• Acquire: Transform under-leveraged GCCs into strategic value centers, unlocking new business value.

Why Publicis Sapient?

• Proven Digital Transformation Expertise: Decades of experience delivering measurable results for global retailers.
• Integrated SPEED Capabilities: End-to-end support across strategy, product, experience, engineering, and data & AI.
• Commitment to Talent and Innovation: Ongoing investment in India’s talent ecosystem and a relentless focus on building future-ready teams.
• Agile, Data-Driven Approach: Methodologies designed for speed, flexibility, and continuous value creation.

The Future of Omnichannel Retail Starts Here

As the demand for seamless, personalized retail experiences accelerates, GCCs are the engines powering the next wave of omnichannel transformation. With Publicis Sapient as your partner, your GCC can become a strategic asset—delivering unified commerce, data-driven personalization, and measurable business impact at global scale.

Ready to transform your retail experience? Connect with Publicis Sapient’s experts to start your omnichannel journey.

Relevant Links

• Driving Innovation and Growth: PS India GCC's Strategic Partnership with a Global Retail Leader
• Transformación Omnicanal en el Retail Latinoamericano: El Rol Estratégico de los GCCs en la Nueva Era del Comercio (LATAM)
• Transformer les GCC pour l’innovation dans le retail et les biens de consommation en Europe (Europe)
• Transformación Omnicanal en el Retail Latinoamericano: Claves para Ejecutivos en México (LATAM)
• Regional Deep Dive: The Rise of GCCs in India’s Emerging Tech Hubs (Coimbatore, Madurai, Pune, Hyderabad)
• Transformación Omnicanal en el Retail Latinoamericano: El Rol Estratégico de los GCCs en México (LATAM)
• Transformer les GCC pour l’Innovation dans le Retail et les Biens de Consommation en Europe (Europe)
• Driving Innovation and Growth: PS India GCC's Strategic Partnership with a Global Retail Leader