As digital commerce matures, its influence is rapidly expanding beyond the traditional boundaries of retail. Today, consumers expect the same seamless, personalized, and AI-powered experiences from every sector they interact with—whether they’re managing finances, booking travel, accessing healthcare, or handling insurance and energy needs. Yet, satisfaction and adoption rates in these non-retail industries often lag behind retail benchmarks, revealing both significant challenges and untapped opportunities for transformation.
Digital commerce now encompasses any transaction between a consumer and a brand that can be completed online. This includes opening a bank account, updating an insurance policy, paying a healthcare bill, or managing energy usage. However, consumer satisfaction with these experiences varies widely across industries:
These figures highlight a clear digital gap—and a compelling opportunity for non-retail sectors to innovate and lead.
Banking leads non-retail sectors in digital commerce satisfaction, thanks to early investments in digital channels, robust security, and user-friendly interfaces. Key innovations include:
Challenges: Regulatory complexity and legacy systems can slow innovation. However, the sector’s focus on hyper-personalization and agile digital platforms positions it to deliver proactive financial advice and tailored products, further deepening customer relationships.
Healthcare lags in digital commerce satisfaction, with only about a third of consumers satisfied. Barriers include regulatory constraints, complex user journeys, and varying digital literacy. Yet, demand for digital transformation is clear:
Challenges: Confusing interfaces and fragmented services persist. The opportunity lies in streamlining end-to-end digital journeys and building trust through clear communication about data use and privacy.
With around 40% satisfaction, insurance is at a pivotal moment. Consumers increasingly demand highly personalized policies and greater control:
Challenges: Complex products and fragmented journeys can erode trust. Insurers that prioritize transparency, personalized offers, and AI-powered support are building stronger customer loyalty.
The energy sector is evolving as consumers demand more control, transparency, and sustainability. Over half of consumers express satisfaction with digital commerce in this sector. Utilities are:
Challenges: Integrating digital capabilities with legacy infrastructure and ensuring robust data privacy. The opportunity is in empowering consumers with personalized insights and tools for managing home energy production and usage.
Travelers now expect hyper-personalized, seamless digital experiences and greener travel options. Digital commerce platforms in travel and hospitality are:
Opportunities: With 71% of travelers wanting personalized recommendations, brands that invest in mature digital platforms and AI-driven personalization are increasing customer lifetime value and loyalty.
AI is the engine powering the next wave of digital commerce transformation. From predictive analytics and conversational assistants to hyper-personalized content and dynamic recommendations, AI enables organizations to:
However, success hinges on data quality, integration, and trust. Organizations must break down data silos, ensure robust data governance, and communicate transparently about data usage to build and maintain consumer trust.
Each sector faces unique challenges on the path to digital commerce maturity:
Despite these challenges, the opportunities are immense. By adopting robust digital commerce platforms, leveraging AI for personalization, and focusing on customer-centric design, organizations can unlock new revenue streams, improve operational efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Publicis Sapient is at the forefront of digital business transformation across industries. Our deep sector expertise, advanced AI, and experience design capabilities enable us to help organizations in banking, healthcare, insurance, energy, travel, and beyond reimagine their digital commerce strategies. We partner with clients to bridge the digital divide, exceed customer expectations, and unlock new sources of value in an AI-led world.
Ready to accelerate your digital commerce transformation? Let’s talk about how to apply these insights to your business and shape the future of digital commerce—beyond retail.