How and Why Unified Commerce is the Future of your Business

Once there was a battle between online and offline.  Then came the marketplaces.  Then came the shopping carts.  Then came social shopping, click & collect, reserve-in-store, cross-border, drop-shipping, just-in-time fulfilment, reverse logistics and mass personalisation.  Today’s retailer is engaged in a war on all fronts where success depends on a unified multichannel strategy.

Being able to trade and compete effectively across multiple channels simultaneously requires functions and features that must interact with each other.  Customers respond best to simplicity, but that outward simplicity often translates into complexity behind the scenes.  Implementing a system capable of handling this complexity and delivering a frictionless and engaging customer experience can be a minefield.  Every platform has its strengths, but most platforms are not a true Unified Solution.  Most of today’s ecommerce platforms rely on an ever-growing number of third-party plugins and apps, which can drain time and resources to maintain and optimise.

Choosing the right platform requires a good understanding of the customers you want to reach, the channels they are present in, and how they are likely to engage with your business.

In this thought-provoking session, ZELLIS Connect Retail Strategist Tim Davies will cover:

• What is Unified Commerce and why does it matter to your business
• How to review the channels you need to trade on
• How to futureproof your retail empire with Unified Commerce
• Self-hosted or SAAS platforms: pros and cons
• Replatforming: Grass isn’t always greener
• 360 degree commerce strategies worth contemplating