How to Implement a Unified Commerce Strategy

Unifying commerce channels into a single commerce journey should be the highest priority of every retailer and brand. Per Salesforce’s 2024 State of the Connected Customer report, about three-quarters of the over 14,000 customers they surveyed said they “expect to do anything online that they can do in-person or by phone.” And digital engagement is significant across all age groups.  

Over half of those surveyed said they prefer to engage digitally with brands, with Millennials the most likely to say this at 65%, followed by Gen Z at 61%. More than half of Gen X respondents said they prefer to engage digitally as did a healthy share of Boomers (nearly 40%). 

It’s clear that consumers are comfortable conducting business via digital channels, incorporating the internet into buying journeys that routinely meander from physical to digital and back to physical spaces. This guide is a roadmap for helping you understand unified commerce and how it differs from its close cousin, omnichannel commerce. We’ve included some benefits of this approach and important steps on how to create a unified commerce strategy.

What is Unified Commerce?

Unified commerce is the process of combining all your sales channels, data, and backend systems into one unified commerce ecosystem. Unified ecommerce creates a fluid shopping experience that goes beyond offering customers multiple ways to shop, but instead looks at the multi-faceted shopping journey as a single experience. 

It connects your commerce infrastructure in a way that allows customers to start their journey on one channel and finish on another without hiccups. It’s the next step after omnichannel (we’ll explain why in a minute). Unified commerce banishes silos. When done right, shopping feels consistent and personal for each customer, regardless of where they start or end their buying journey.

Unified Commerce Examples

Shopping journeys vary from customer to customer and category to category. They also shift based on the consumer demographic and other factors like season and consumer type (B2B vs. B2C). Here are a few unified commerce examples to help illustrate how a successful unified commerce journey might look:

1. Scoring a Perfect Social Media Fashion Find 

Clarice spots a jacket she loves on TikTok. She taps to view product details and saves it to her wish list. Later, she visits the brand’s website where she finds it easily and adds it to her shopping cart. She doesn’t buy it yet, but the next day she receives a personalized email with a coupon code for free shipping. This inspires her to return to the website and complete her purchase of the jacket. 

2. Ordering Office Supplies on the Go

While commuting to work via bus, Brad, browses an office supply retailer’s app. He adds items to his cart, but doesn’t complete the purchase since he needs approval from his manager. Once at work, Brad adds a few more items to his order (after checking in with his team), finalizes the order, and selects same-day delivery. The app notifies staff at the closest retail store. They fulfill the order and deliver it to the business. Quick, easy, done.

3. Buying Groceries for The Family 

Several members of the Smith family add groceries to their weekly order via multiple touchpoints and devices including the store’s mobile app, the website, and a voice assistant. Once the order is ready, Mom completes it on her computer and schedules pickup for later that evening. Dad gets a text via the mobile app that the order is ready and picks it up curbside on his way home from work.

Omnichannel Vs. Unified Commerce

The above examples make it clear that the way people shop has changed significantly compared to just a few years ago. Each journey is slightly different too, but all are easy to complete and seamless from the customer’s perspective. These kinds of unified buying journeys can only happen when retailers integrate back-end systems like inventory management, CRM, and order fulfillment – moving from an omnichannel to a unified ecommerce approach. There are distinct differences between the two which are important to clarify:

Omnichannel = Multiple Channels, Separate Systems

• Omnichannel commerce includes various ways to shop – both online and off. It may include your website and mobile app, but also your physical stores, social media shops, online marketplaces, the local flea market, etc. With omnichannel, some channels may operate independently which means that data can’t flow between them. Your in-store inventory may not sync with your online inventory or what’s available at the local farmer’s market. 

Unified Commerce = One Integrated Platform

• Unified commerce removes the silos from the commerce picture by connecting channels and back-end systems into a single platform. Inventory, customer data, and transactions can then sync in real-time across every touchpoint your customers use to shop. The result is a single connected shopping journey with channels that talk to each other and data that’s updated in real time. Customers can start shopping from any channel or device that’s convenient and receive personalization and recognition no matter how they shop.

Key Benefits of Unified Ecommerce

Unified commerce is part strategy and part technology. It’s an all-in approach to transforming how you operate, that offers some tremendous benefits including that it:

1. Meets Customers Where They Are

Shoppers can manifest their journey in the way that works best for them. Maybe they’ll start on their favorite social media platform, pop over to your website, and finish in-store or maybe they’ll do most of their browsing and buying from your website, but schedule the order for curbside pickup. Regardless of the specifics, unified commerce is one smooth experience that removes frustrating roadblocks and gaps between channels. 

2. Inspires People to Stick Around

When shopping is easy and personalized, customers remain happy. They’re more likely to complete their purchase, make repeat purchases, and recommend you to their bestie. Unified commerce creates the kind of customer-pleasing experience that builds lasting relationships.

3. Oils All the Moving Parts

As we’ve touched on above unified commerce removes the pesky data silos that make it impossible for people to switch from channel to channel. It connects your inventory, customer info, and sales data so all the different parts of your ecosystem are talking to each other. Access to real-time data including inventory updates allows for better inventory management, more accurate forecasting, and gives you the ability to adapt quickly to change. 

4. Supports Smarter Decisions

With all your data in one place, you get a clear picture of your business. You can spot trends and understand what customers need in a given season (or moment). This equals more informed decisions across every department. You can build effective strategies around things like merchandising, messaging, and inventory management. 

5. Allows You to Get Personal

Unified commerce gives you a 360-degree view of each shopper’s journey. This deep understanding of your customers lets you personalize the buying journey in ways that resonate for every customer and segment. Offer tailored recommendations, personalize offers, target ads, and get to know what people need. Customers want to be recognized no matter what real or virtual door they enter – unified commerce makes this possible. 

Implementing a Unified Commerce Strategy

Unifying your commerce infrastructure is an all-in approach that requires careful planning and commitment across your entire organization. Here are some steps to walk you through what’s involved:

Step 1: Assess Your Current Setup

Take stock of where you’re at right now in terms of your channels, technology, and infrastructure. Look to identify gaps and pain points (from the customer’s perspective). Mapping out the customer journey can help here since it sets the foundation for what you need to support  an effective unified commerce strategy.

Step 2: Choose Your Technology and Integrate

Investigate unified commerce solutions and select a platform that can integrate all your sales channels and back-end systems. Look for features like real-time data synchronization, AI and machine learning to fully leverage that data, and robust integration tools and API features that allow you to easily connect third-party platforms into a single ecosystem. Connecting systems including inventory management, CRM, order fulfillment, accounting is necessary because it’s what unifies the shopping journey, allowing data to flow seamlessly between all parts of your business.

Step 3: Train Your Team

Remember how we said unified commerce is an all-in approach? That means you’ll need to inform, train, and support managers and staff. Everyone should understand the new system and approach, including how it impacts their roles.  Comprehensive training and top-down support from executives work together to facilitate smooth adoption across your organization.

Step 5: Test and Refine

Before full rollout, test your unified system thoroughly. Start with a pilot program, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments. 

Step 6: Monitor and Optimize

Once launched, keep a close eye on performance metrics. Review data and analytics to glean insights that let you fine-tune your strategy. Change is the only constant, as the saying goes. Continuously revisiting your unified commerce approach – and the technology that powers it – is what keeps things relevant and systems humming along smoothly.