Retailers win customers with unified commerce presence

Retailers that have a complementary digital and physical presence are better able to win the hearts and wallets of shoppers.

Why it matters: Embracing unified commerce — connecting the backend processing with the front-end consumer experience — increases U.S. retailers’ growth projections by about 10%, according to a survey by Dutch payment company Adyen.

Between the lines: “Consumers increasingly prefer to shop with businesses who offer flexibility and options, both online and in store, something that merchants can amplify through unified commerce,” the authors wrote.

• Nearly half of the businesses surveyed said that unified commerce makes for a better customer experience.
• Around 46% of businesses said it helped increase sales while 44% said it increased customer loyalty.

The bottom line: More than half of U.S. consumers — about 66% — said they won’t shop in stores that have a bad shopping experience, whether it be online or in person.

• Around two-thirds of consumers surveyed said they wanted retailers to continue offering the same cross-channel flexibility, such as buying online and returning in store, that they had during the pandemic.