Despite widespread investment in digital transformation, just 17% of retailers say their unified commerce capabilities are fully mature, according to new industry research.
Unified commerce refers to seamless integration across point-of-sale, mobile, e-commerce, fulfillment, and inventory systems—so that shoppers and associates have a consistent, real-time experience across all channels. It’s a foundational capability in omnichannel retail, yet few have mastered it.
The study found that most retailers remain siloed, with systems that don’t communicate across store and digital operations. This disconnect leads to poor inventory visibility, inconsistent pricing, and fragmented customer experiences—particularly during peak events like holidays or promotional launches.
In response, leading retailers are focusing on:
- Investing in centralized data platforms that unify inventory, pricing, and order history.
- Empowering associates with mobile tech and real-time stock visibility.
- Enhancing order orchestration to allocate inventory across stores and warehouses efficiently.
For vendors, logistics firms, and tech partners in the Bentonville ecosystem, these findings point to opportunity. Retailers need solutions that support true channel integration—not just bolted-on tools.
The road to unified commerce isn’t just about software—it’s about reengineering business processes and change management. The 17% who’ve achieved maturity will set the bar for customer expectations going forward. The rest risk falling behind.
